BHALUK SONDA CAVE
23.380600,86.965000
Description
NOTE 1: Bhaluk Sonda Cave N23°22'50”: E086°57'54” (probably Everest 1830, SANT 1991). NOTE 2: Neither a »Gandeshwari« nor a »Darakeswara« or a Darakeshwara valley, stream or river is listed on nima.mil/geonames (accessed 16.11.2003). NOTE 3: Susunia N23°24': E086°59' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NF45-02 Purulia (U502 series, 1959 edition) south-west of Bankura. NOTE 4: Bankura N23°15': E087°04' (nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003) on AMS sheet NF45-03 Burdwan (U502 series, 1962 edition).
An unspecified »cave« of dubious nature, character and dimensions but of some archaeological importance reported (SANT 1991: 95-96). SITUATION: At a vague location somewhere (note 1) in the vicinity of Susunia (note 3) in a certain »Gandeshwari and Darakeswara« or Darakeshwara valley (note 2). ARCHAEOLOGY: The State Archaeology Department of the Government of West Bengal conducted a small excavation of a limited area to a depth of 1.79 m which yielded a 0.41 m thick phase of cultural remains ascribed to Neolithic to Iron using people (SUDHIN DE 1989). Pottery is represented by pale red and grey ware bearing cord marks and nail impressions. Also recovered were lithic tools (burin, hand drill, blade, scraper), artifacts of antlers and bone (awls and long bones with cut off epiphyses worked into bodkin or spear points). GEOLOGY: »Bankura district … Gneiss appears in the western hills, especially in the neighbourhood of Bankura town [note 4], and in the north-west metamorphic rocks stand upboldly in well-marked hornblendic ridges, the generall strike is of which is nearly east and west. South of Bankura veins of granite occur, especially in the metamorphic rocks along the Silai river, cutting through the gneissic rocks. The Gondwana system is represented in the north, on the banks of the Damodar river, by beds which belong to the Raniganj group and may contain useful seams of coal. Elsewhere the surface consists of gently undulating ground, covered by laterite and alluvium. The former is invariably detrital, and contains such quantities of quartz pebbles as to resemble a coarse ferrugineous conglomerate. The laterite is extensively overlaid by a sandy clay, which is often intermixed with kankar« (BOSE, P N in IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 6: 384). CLIMATE: »Exceptionally high day temperatures are a feature of the hot months, the mean maximum rising to 93° [33.9°C] in March and 102° [38.9°C] temperature for the year is 80° [26.7°C]. The annual rainfall averages 56 inches [1'420 mm], of which 10.4 inches [260 mm] fall in June, 12.7 [320 mm] in July, 12.4 [315 mm] in August, and 8.2 [210 mm] in September« (IMPERIAL GAZETTEER 1907-1909, 6: 384). CAVE LIFE - palaeontology: The identified bone remains represent dog (Canis familiaris Linnaeus), humped cattle (Bos indicus Linnaeus), pig (Sus scrofa Wagner), porcupine (Hystrix bengalensis Blyth), river turtle (Trionyx gangaticus Curier) and wolf (Canis Linnaeus).
Cavités proche
| Distance (km) | Nom | Longueur (m) | Profondeur (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37.5 | JAMURIA COLLIERY | ||
| 167.2 | VASUPUJYA BIL | ||
| 209.9 | PATARGHAT CAVES | ||
| 211.0 | MOOTTEE JHURNA (Cave at) | ||
| 226.9 | MANIHARI PERFORATED MASS | ||
| 361.9 | KENDRAKONA UNDERGROUND BUNKERS | ||
| 393.4 | SUN KOSHI (Munthe 1975) no. 1 (Cave on the) | ||
| 393.4 | SUN KOSHI (Munthe 1975) no. 2 (Cave on the) | ||
| 394.3 | POPE RAJA (Cave of) |