DOG SKULL POT
30.747200,77.794400
Description
The higher one of the two pothole caves at –>Leora village consists of a 19.2 m deep (note 1) vertical shaft 2.5 m diameter to a flat floor. SITUATION: »On a south face slope [somewhere] near Leora Village [compare: Caves at –>Leora]« and on »a steep slope of about 35° from the vertical [55° from the horizontal]« (Leakey 1942.12.03 Mss: Himalayan Caves). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1»Huge slip of hill with rift and probably chambers similar to Piper's Cavern at Campbellton. No solution cave like« (Glennie, Edward Aubrey 1942.10.05-19 Mss: Diary, 10th October). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2: A triangular shaped cave entrance (probably leaning along the south-facing 55° slope of the hill by approximately -35°/360°) gives access to a vertical cave (note 3) along an east-west trending gravitational rift. About a third or half way down (-6.5 to -9.5 m) the main shaft merges with a lateral aven west (up to 2.2 m wide, 3.6 m long, 7.5 m high). About 12.5 m below the entrance threshold arrives from north an inlet (tube?) about 0.5 m in diameter (unexplored?). At the level floor (19.2 m below the entrance threshold, 21.1 m below the topmost ceiling) arrives from the west (gate 1 m wide, 1.7 m high) another lateral aven (up to 2.2 m wide, 7.5 m high) with an inclined inlet (0.5 m, 2.5 m, +45°) from the approximate west (after Leakey 1942.10.10 cave plan: Dog Skull Pot, note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION 3: »… having not the slightest trace of a catchment area [note 4] …The higher of the two [caves at –>Leora] opened as a 8 ft. vertical shaft going down 63 ft. and finishing in a flat floor, where the skull of a dog was found, hence its name, "Dog Skull Pot"« (Leakey 1942.12.03 Mss: Himalayan Caves).
NOTE 1: The vertical range recorded varies slightly: 21.1 m (+1.9 m / -19.2 m) based on entrance threshold; after Leakey (1942.10.10 cave plan: Dog Skull Pot); 19.2 m (63 feet) deep (Leakey 1942.12.03 Mss: Himalayan Caves); 21.3 m (70 feet) deep (Glennie 1942.10.05-19 Mss: Diary, 10th October 1942; GLENNIE 1952b: 87 figure 11). NOTE 2: Scale »20 ft. to one inch« (corresponding to 2.54 : 609.6 or 1: 240), »View Looking South [horizontal projection to 180°]« with one section and a ground plan at floor level. GLENNIE (1952b: 87 figure 11) forwards a crude reproduction of Leakey's cave plan (vertical section) and claims a "Grade 2 Survey" ascribed to Leakey 1942. NOTE 3: Up to 2.2 m on 360° and 8.5 m on 270° wide. Passage length total 45.4 m. Vertical range 21.1 m (+1.9 m / -19.2 m). NOTE 4: R. D. Leakey uses the term "catchment area" to designate an obvious stream bed (headwaters) or closed depression draining surface water straight into that cave entrance enterable by soldiers or humans.
History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1942.10.10: Robert D. Leakey (1942.10.10 cave plan: Dog Skull Pot; 1942.12.03 Mss: Himalayan Caves) descended, surveyed and mapped Dog Skull Pot, guided by unidentified shepherds, assisted by unidentified porters and in company with Edward Aubrey Glennie (1942.10.05-19: Mss Diary), Mary Hazelton (Glennie's niece), A. E. Leydon, one Michael (?) and a certain Wheeler (?). E. A. Glennie, Doing Dog Skull Pot away with disclassifying it as »no solution cave«, E. A. Glennie discovered that his interest in cave exploration was narrow minded »so did not go down« (Glennie 1942.10.05-19 Mss: Diary, 10th October).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | WELL SHAFT, Leora | ||
| 1.0 | BUDHER MUD POT | ||
| 1.0 | BUDHER SLIT POT | ||
| 1.1 | BUDHER TIMBER POT | ||
| 1.1 | KANDWA POT 4 | ||
| 1.1 | KANDWA POT 5 | ||
| 1.2 | KANDWA POT 3 | ||
| 1.2 | KANDWA POT | ||
| 1.2 | KANDWA POT 6 |