Zarmast (Cave at)

General information

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The largest cave of Afghanistan (note 1), which Dr. Knut Lindberg had come across till 1958 (note 2), is situated somewhere at a distance of 17 km (along a road?) from Maymana (note 3). The entrance lies close to a summit in the heights of a limestone mountain called Kouh- Zarmast (note 4) and at 1250 m or 1320 m asl (note 5) above the right bank of a torrent (LINDBERG 1958: 121), which, in the French transcription of LINDBERG (1961a: 12), is called Darreh Chah Talagh (note 6): Située à 17 km de la ville de Maimanéh, à Darreh Chah Talagh, près du piton d'une hauteur du massif calcaire du Kouh-Zarmast, sur la rive droite du torrent. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1961 (after LINDBERG 1961: 12): In the entrance area, the cave is features two distinct cave levels and short -paths- give access to the upper storey. A relatively low cave passage, several metres long, connects to a wet and spacious cave chamber were drops of water fall from the ceiling on a cave floor covered with soil and rocks. On an unspecified -left-hand side- (unidentified orientation), there are some cave chambers and cave passages but it is on the opposite -right-hand side- (unidentified orientation) where a very low cave passage, which requires crawling for 3 m or 4 m, gains the principal parts of the cave. These consist of a succession of relatively high cave chambers, lateral cave passages and relatively spacious, mostly ascending cave galleries. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1961 edited 1968 (TRIMMEL 1968: 265 after LINDBERG 1962b): Die größte bisher erkundete Höhle Afghanistans, die Grotte de Zarimast [sic] (1320 m [asl]), 17 km vor der Stadt Maimanéh, enthält zahlreiche Säugetierreste sowie Reste menschlicher Skelette; sie ist etwa 300 m lang. CAVE POTENTIAL: The total surveyed length from the entrance to the salle terminal (terminal chamber) is 350 m (note 7) but it continues in a narrow, east-west running rift passage with walls shaped by water: Je l'ai parcourue sur une longueur d'environ 30 m. CAVE CONTENTS: lowstone covers parts of the cave walls but there are neither stalagmites nor stalactites. For approximately the first 150 m from the entrance, the cave floor is covered with very fine dust and brownish-reddish soil. There was a curious smell of coffee in a limited area. CAVE CLIMATE: There is some dropping water in the lower chamber but the inner parts of the cave are dry. Air current (draught) is felt. Humidity: 100% in First Chamber on 5th July 1957. Cave themperatures: 18.10.1957 05.07.1959 17°C 24°C air Entrance 11°C air First Chamber 14°C air circa 40 m inside 18°C air circa 300 m inside 18°C air Terminal Chamber CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1961a: 12) observed -dry guano- (bats, Chiroptera) and numerous bones of mammals, including humans (Homo var.). JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1748, 1749) list Insecta: Coleoptera: Cholevidae: Attumbra tibialis COIFFAIT; Vertebrata: Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum irani CHEESMAN; Vertebrata: Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Myotis blowstone covers parts of the cave walls but there are neither stalagmites nor stalactites. For approximately the first 150 m from the entrance, the cave floor is covered with very fine dust and brownish-reddish soil. There was a curious smell of coffee in a limited area.