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DOMICA
CAVE
NATIONAL NATURE MONUMENT
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
Cadastral area: Kečovo
District: Rožňava
Region: Košice
It is situated on the southwestern edge of the Silická Plateau in the
Slovak Karst, 10 km to the southwest of Plešivec, near the borders with
Hungary. Domica Cave is a pearl of the National Nature Reserve Domické
škrapy (Domické Karren) in the Protected Landscape Area and Bio
Spherical Reserve of the Slovak Karst. Entrance to the cave is at the
southern foothill of Domica Hill, 339 meters above the sea level.
It was formed in the Middle Triassic
Wetterstein limestones of the Silický nape along the tectonic faults, by
underground streams of Styx and Domica at three developmental levels.
Overall cave length is 5,080 meters. The lowest part is filled with
gravel and loam. It forms a genetically compact entity, about
25 km in length, together with the Baradla Cave in Hungary.
Shields and drums, cascading pools, onion‑shaped stalactites and
pagoda‑like stalagmites are typical for its rich sinter filling.
Bones of spelean bear (Ursus spelaeus)
were excavated in the Suchá corridor. Among 11 species of the known
bats prevails Rhinolophus euryale, forming here a unique colony in
Slovakia (more than 1,000 bats).
It is the most important finding‑place of the Neolithic
“bukovohorská” culture (4,000 years B.C.). Pile holes of dwellings
and fire pits have been preserved in this cave. Abundance of
shatters gives evidence of ceramics manufacture. Assorted findings
represent the top of the Neolithic handling of bones. Even the
evidence of cloths production has been found. The rear parts of the
cave had probably been ritual place, what is to be seen by carbon
drawings. Findings of artifacts with eastern linearly ornamented
pottery and items from the Early Stone Age ‑ Szeletien ‑ from 35,000
years ago are unique as well.
The Old Domica Cave has been known
long. J. Majko discovered its continuation into the new spaces in
1926. Domica Cave was interconnected to the cave
Čertova
diera (Devil’s hole) in 1929 and to the cave Baradla in 1932.
It was made accessible to
the public in 1932, including an underground boat trip. Catastrophic
floods flooded the cave in June 1954. Other floods were in 1955,
1964, 1977, and 1981. Currently, the show cave tour is 1,315 m,
including a 140 m boat trip.
GO
TO SLOVAKIA'S CAVES
GO TO SLOVAKIA'S UNESCO WORLD
HERITAGE SITES
Published in the Slovak Heritage Live
newsletter Volume
12, No.2, Summer 2004
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 2004
3804 Yale Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied,
reproduced, republished, or redistributed by any means including
electronic, without the express written permission of
Vladimir
Linder. All rights
reserved.
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