NEMMICHELI GAVI
15.420800,78.150600
Description
A west-north-west facing entrance (up to 5 m wide and high) gives access to the largest of the known caves in the vicinity of Gollagutta (note 1), a dry, relic cave of phreatic origin formed along three rifts in a steep escarpment exposing middle Narji Limestone. ETYMOLOGY: The Telugu "silla" is said to mean »creek« whilst "chali" or "cheli" had been felt to derive from the Sanskrit "achala" meaning »hill.« So far, I found this cave called, spelled or transcribed as Gorlagutta (Nemmicheli) cave Venugopal Rao & Rao (1993 Mss: 1), Nemmala Silla Gavi M. Narayana Reddy (1996.12.25 personal communication after a local guide), Nemmalasilla Gavi Dar, Perrin et al. (2011.02.02 Mss table 1: C-17); GEBAUER (1997: 108); Perrin (2010.02.02 Mss: Report expedition Belum January 2010.pdf) Nemmalchala Gavi Cave PRASAD & YADAGIRI (1986 for 1980-1981: 77), and Nemmicheli cave VENUGOPAL RAO & RAO (1992: 240; Venugopal Rao & Rao 1993 Mss: 3). SITUATION 1996 (Gebauer): At a walking distance of 30 or 45 minutes (an estimated 2 km or 3 km) approximately west from kilometre 23 (near N15°24'45”: E78°10'15” Everest 1830) on the road from Banaganapalle (Banganapalle N15°18'30”: E78°14') generally NNW to Betamcherla (N15°27': E78°09') and in the upper reaches of the Nemmala Silla, a seasonal tributary (dry in December) from the north to the perennial, west-east flowing Muchchatla vagu (Muchchatleswara vagu). The GPS position recorded for the cave entrance of Nemmicheli Gavi indicate a spot 3.3 km in a direct line approximately south (171°) of the Betamcherla railway station (N15°26'50”: E078°08'55”: 362 m asl, Everest 1830, Survey of India sheet 57-i/03 edition 1983). SITUATION 1993: Venugopal Rao & Rao (1993 Mss: 3) place »Nemmicheli cave … on the steep escarpment of middle Narji limestone on the northern side of the Muchatla [sic! qua: Muchchatla vagu] river valley. To reach the cave, a steep climb of 100 m [sic] is required« but these so-called »100 m« correspond to a walking distance gaining less than 100 feet or 30 m in height. PRASAD & YADAGIRI (1986: 73) reported an elevation of 15 m above the valley floor. SITUATION 1986: PRASAD & YADAGIRI (1986: 73) place »Nemmalchala Gavi Cave« not only in an unspecified direction »500 m away from Gokarabaddha Gavi Cave« but also »about 7 km due south of Betamcherla town« and in one way or an other »nearer« (without identified spatial relation) to an unspecified »Nalla Bochala Mine« (unidentified, possibly an abandoned limestone quarry). POSITION 2010: Near (unspecified precision error) N15°25'15”: E078°09'02” (unidentified geodetic datum, Dar, Perrin et al. 2011.02.02 Mss table 1: C-17). POSITION 1996: Near (±250 m) N15°25'15”: E078°09'02” (WGS84, Gebauer, H D 1996.12.25, 4-channel GPS Garmin 12) corresponding to N15°25'19.5”: E078°08'57.9” (Everest 1830). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010: Perrin (2010.02.02 Mss: 03 Jan 2010): Not only »Nemmalasilla Gavi (Gebauer 1997)« or Nemmicheli cave (VENUGOPAL RAO & RAO 1992) but also another »small cave (Length= 8 m) 50 m on the side« (no name mentioned, thus –>Nemmicheli Gavi 2) is »… located at the bottom of circa 30 m cliff in massive Narji limestone; thin-bedded limestone in the slope at the top of the cliff (some old quarries nearby); and Panyam quartzite on top. >100 m vertical fault nearby, direction N140, influence bedding dip near fault line. Caves are disconnected from present drainage system: surface runoff on quartzite and then surface drainage at bottom of thalwegs following fractures direction. Present base level in shale below limestone? Phreatic conditions during formation of the caves.«CAVE DESCRIPTION 1996: Gebauer (1996.12.25): An irregularly shaped cave entrance (up to about 4 m wide, 6.5 m high) gives access to an entrance chamber (up to 3 m wide, 5 m high, and 8 m long) with three continuations. West (straight ahead) leads to an aven (2 m in diameter, 5 m high, and inhabited by lots of bats) controlled by a subvertical rift (285°-105°) and is generally impenetrable but a bit opened 3 m above the current cave floor. From the left-hand side (220° or south-west) enters another subvertical rift guiding a bypass. Clambering 6 m up from the ante-chamber into the bypass, the rift becomes immediately too tight but continues to ascend to the surface as daylight is seen entering from a skylight window almost 15 m above the main entrance. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1992: Before Venugopal Rao & Rao (1993 Mss: 3) had excavated part of the cave in the 1990-91 season: »The cave mouth is concealed by the talus cover and bushy growth amidst the dissected limestone relic blocks and [bedrock] pillars. Slit like narrow opening leads to a wide main gallery that ramifies into two passages. The north eastern passage is short and blocked by roof collapse debris. The north west narrow passage is narrow [sic!] extends up to a few metres and terminates into multiple fissures. Some of these fissures are filled with cemented debris and stalactitic material from cavities towards the top. Bats are seen in abundance in this part of the cave. The cave is filled with a thick pile of sediments. Towards the cave mouth the sediments are thick [and] almost touching the roof, leaving only a narrow [sic! for: low] horizontal slit like opening. Excavation pit was put in the centre of the cave in the main gallery. Bed rock was interacted at a depth of 9.8 m …« (note 4). VENUGOPAL RAO & RAO (1992: 240): »The excavation of Nemmicheli cave revealed the presence of a thick (9.8 m) cave deposit. However, no fossil remains were recovered from the cave sediments.« Venugopal Rao & Rao (1993 Mss: 4): »Inspite of the large dimensions of the cave and the thick sedimentary sequence, the cave is devoid of any fossils or other archaeological objects. Pot sherds and bones of recent origin were only found scattered on the surface. Barring the above, no sign of human habitation is seen in this cave .« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1986: PRASAD & YADAGIRI (1986 for 1980-1981: 73): »A large cave situated at a height of about 15 m from ground level, facing the valley. The entrance to this cave is covered by a big rock boulder, a place suitable for a prehistoric man who is likely to have used it as a rock shelter. The passage is divided into two parts and meet after a distance of about 6 m.« CAVE POTENTIAL: In the partly scree covered escarpment immediately below the main cave, a 1m-diameter tube (obviously of phreatic origin) needs digging. It is almost completely infilled with what appears to be loose debris but obviously continues, as far as can be seen with the help of a spotlight, for at least 5 m or 10 m straight into the hill. Judging from the visible part of the shape of this cave passages cross section, it represents the relic of a phreatic stream cave passage. CAVE LIFE: On 25th December 1996 (daytime) I saw many bats (Chiroptera) inside the cave. Venugopal Rao & Rao (1993 Mss: 3), who had excavated parts of this cave in the 1990-1991 season, confirmed that »bats are seen in abundance in this [interior] part of the cave.«
NOTE 1: The village of »Gorlagootla« (FOOTE 1884a: 33, 34) or »Gorlogunta« (FOOTE 1885: 235) and »Goorlagootla« (CRAVEN 1969: 23) is indicated as »Gollagutta« near N15°23'45”: E78°11'45”: 280 m asl (Everest 1830) on the Survey of India sheet 57-I/03 (edition 1983) on the road from Betamcherla (N25°27': E78°09' Everest 1830) south-east and south to Banaganapalle (N15°18'45”: E78°13'30”: 225 m asl, Everest 1830). NOTE 2: The sedimentary sequence: 0.1 m roof collapse debris: Fine dust and black silt 0.4 m very recent humus: Limestone fragments & grey silt3.8 m talus from cliff: Angular limestone fragments, quartzites, grey silt2.8 m recent sediment: Grey silt, small limestone fragments, some quartz1.8 m old, consolidated fine red clay without any large fragment 0.9 m Residual red clay.
Documents
Bibliography 28/04/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1884: »Two other caves [no names mentioned] west of Gorlogunta [Gollagunta], near Billa Surgam, were visited by Lieutenant [Henry Bruce] Foote early in 1984« (FOOTE 1885: 235). 1986: PRASAD & YADAGIRI (1986: 73) recommended archaeological investigation. 1990-91: VENUGOPAL RAO & RAO (1992: 240, 1993 Mss: 4) had the cave excavated and found it archaeologically and palaeontologically barren. 1996.12.25: Saro Ruggieri evaluated the cave's geomorphology, Iolanda Galletti tried to collect cave life (GALLETTI & RUGGIERI 1998), H. D. Gebauer and Renate Kalmbach mapped (GEBAUER 1997b). 2010.01.03: Perrin (2010.02.02 Mss: Report expedition Belum January 2010.pdf): »03 Jan 2010: Betamcherla region: Visit to Nemmalasilla Gavi (Gebauer 1997), found small cave (Length 8 m) 50 m on the side.«
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | NEMMICHELI GAVI (Perrin 2010) | ||
| 0.1 | GOKARABADDHA GAVI | ||
| 0.4 | MUCHCHATLA CHINTAMANU GAVI | ||
| 0.5 | GURRUM PATINATADE | ||
| 1.2 | BOYA DARI | ||
| 1.2 | ERRABADDE GAVI , 1st | ||
| 1.2 | ERRABADDE GAVI, 2nd | ||
| 1.2 | ERRABADDE GAVI, 3rd | ||
| 1.8 | NAGIREDDYBADDE |