The Koněprusy Caves were not just the accidental repository for Zlatý kůň’s bones.

The Bohemian Karst and its cave systems were actively used by humans throughout much of the Upper Paleolithic, and the archaeological record of these sites tells something about the broader context in which Zlatý kůň and people like her lived.

Cave sites throughout central Europe from the Upper Paleolithic have yielded evidence of repeated, seasonal use by hunting groups.

The caves provided shelter from the wind and cold, stable temperatures relative to the open steppe, and defensible locations that may have offered some protection against cave bears and cave lions.

Their use by humans appears to have been somewhat different from their use by cave bears, which denned in caves for hibernation — human use was more transient, associated with specific activities rather than long-term occupation.