Devetaki (or Devetashka) cave - Bulgaria

 

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Devetàshka cave near Lovech, Bulgaria. 

Human presence dates back to Middle Paleolithic around  70,000 years ago.

 

Devetàshka cave mirrors history of 70,000 years

 

Beyond the Horizon

By Pradeep Kumar

 

Devetàshka cave is a large karst cave around 7-km east of Letnitsa and 15-km northeast of Lovech, near Devetaki village on the east bank of Osam River in Bulgaria. The site has been continuously occupied by Paleo humans for tens of thousands of years, served as a shelter for a variety of animal species during extensive periods and is now home to nearly 30,000 bats.

 

A narrow path by the river leads from the village to the cave. It can also be accessed directly along a 1,300-ft long dirt road (No 301) and a concrete bridge, now part of a public park, including a waterfall. The 2-km long karst cave formed from dissolution of soluble rocks, characterized by sinkholes and an underground river. It is rich in speleothems, stalagmites, stalacites, countless rivulets and majestic natural domes.

 

The site is 115-ft wide and 98-ft tall at the entrance. The cave widens after around 130-ft forming a spacious hall with an area of 26,000 sqft), a height of 200-ft that can reach up to 330-ft. Several large openings in the ceiling allow daylight to lighten the vast interior, due to commercial use of the site during the 1950s.

 

Rediscovered in 1921, excavations began only in the 1950s and revealed almost continuous human occupation since the late Paleolithic era. Earliest traces of human presence date back to Middle Paleolithic around 70,000 years ago. The site also contained one of the richest sources of Neolithic cultural artifacts (6,000 to 4,000 BC).

 

Devetaki (or Devetashka) cave - Bulgaria

Bats and crag martins populate the site

 

 

Devetàshka cave (Bulgarian: Деветашката пещера) is a large karst cave around 7 km (4.3 mi) east of Letnitsa and 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Lovech, near the village of Devetaki on the east bank of the river Osam, in Bulgaria. The site was continuously occupied by paleo-humans for tens of thousands of years, served as a shelter for a variety of animal species during extensive periods and is now home to nearly 30,000 bats.

 

Devetàshka  peshterà_(Devetàshka_cave)

well known Bulgarian cave near the village Devetaki.

View towards the main entrance and the first two openings

 

Location

Devetashka cave is located approximately 2 km (1.2 mi) from the village of Devetaki. A narrow path by the river leads from the village to the cave. It can also be accessed directly via Road 301 along a 400 m (1,300 ft) long dirt road and a concrete bridge. Now part of a public park, that includes a waterfall, the 2 km (1.2 mi) long karst cave formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks, characterized by sinkholes and an underground river. It is rich in speleothems, stalagmites, stalactites, countless rivulets and majestic natural domes.

 

The site is 35 m (115 ft) wide and 30 m (98 ft) high at the entrance. The cave widens after around 40 m (130 ft), forming a spacious hall with an area of 2,400 m2 (26,000 sq ft), a height of 60 m (200 ft) that can reach up to 100 m (330 ft). Several large openings in the ceiling allow daylight to lighten the vast interior, due to commercial use of the site during the 1950s.

 

Rediscovered in 1921, excavations began only in the 1950s and revealed almost continuous human occupation since the late Paleolithic. Earliest traces of human presence date back to the Middle Paleolithic around 70,000 years ago. The site also contained one of the richest sources of Neolithic cultural artifacts (6,000 to 4,000 BC).

 

devetashka cave-bulgaria-panoramic view-inside  near devetaki village-osam river

Ancient Origins

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Devetashka-Bulgarian-Cave

 

Updated 21 July, 2020 - 04:44 aprilholloway

Devetashka - the Bulgarian Cave with 70,000 Years of Human Habitation

 

Devetashka cave is an enormous cave in Bulgaria, which has provided shelter for groups of humans since the late Paleolithic era, and continuously for tens of thousands of years since then. Now abandoned by humans, it remains a site of national and international significance and is home to some 30,000 bats.

 

Devetashka cave, which is known as Devetàshka peshterà in Bulgaria, is located roughly 18 kilometres north of Lovech, near the village of Devetaki.  It is a karst cave formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks and characterized by sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage systems.

 

Devetashka Cave, Bulgaria. Photo source: BigStockPhoto

 

The cave itself is immense, measuring approximately 2 kilometres in length and with a huge entrance ‘hall’ measuring 60 metres in height. In places the ceiling is 100 metres above the ground and there are seven huge holes through which daylight illuminates the vast interior. It is these holes that earned the cave the name Maarata or Oknata ("the eyes").

The ‘eyes’ in the roof of the Devetashka cave. Photo source: BigStockPhoto

 

About 200 meters from the entrance, the cave separates into two branches. On the left side, a small river runs along it, forming miniature lakes and waterfalls, passing through the main hall and eventually flowing into the Osam River. The right side is warm and dry and contains several chambers, ending with a round hall, known as the Altar.  Beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, rivulets, majestic natural domes and arches can be found within the enormous cave and one can see why various human populations would have chosen Devetashka as their home.

 

View from inside towards the main entrance and the first two big openings. Photo source: Wikipedia

 

Devetashka Cave was rediscovered by a Bulgarian scientist in 1921 but was not fully excavated until the 1950s when the intention was to transform the cave into a giant warehouse. Studies revealed that it has been inhabited almost continuously since the late Paleolithic era. The earliest traces of human presence date back to the middle of the Early Stone Age around 70,000 years ago. The Devetashka cave also contained one of the richest sources of cultural artifacts from the Neolithic (6th millennium - 4th millennium BC).

Bronze artifact found in Devetashka cave (5 th century BC), National History Museum of Bulgaria. Source: Wikipedia

 

During the 1950s, Devetashka Cave was used as a military site and for the storage of petroleum, leading to the destruction of some of the natural formations in the cave. Today, concrete bases remain inside the cave where large oil tanks had been installed.  A railroad was built leading to the entrance of the cave, and some remnants of a bridge can be found across the river.

 

One of the entrances into Devetashka Cave. Photo source: BigStockPhoto

 

The cave is probably best known for its part in the action movie ‘The Expendables 2’, filmed in 2011, in which Sylvester Stallone crash lands a plane into Jean Claude Van Damme’s subterranean lair. After the film, local naturalists noted that the bat population had significantly diminished due to stress incurred during filming, and the Supreme Administrative Court of Bulgaria declared that this filming was in breach of Bulgaria's environmental regulations. In June, 1996, Devetashka Cave was declared a natural landmark.

 

Featured image: Panorama of the inside of Devetashka Cave. Credit: Geopalstudio

By April Holloway

 

Attractions near Devetashka Cave Devetaki Bulgaria: Krushuna Waterfalls