WOODCUTTER CAVE (Bäumler 2012)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) was said to give access to a cave, inside which special investigation reveiled that it suits outsiders from abroad to exercise on Wednesdays the taking of some pictures in the galleries and boulders (Anonymous 2012.03.10 Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Team 2 Diary, Wednesday 15th February). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for this cave on an unidentified stream (no name mentioned), which was discovered on a kind of scarp or cliff face (no name mentioned) that had been scarred in February 2012 with a clearing (note 1) of the forest (note 2). Since neither the name of the stream nor that of the cave was identified but the clearing of a forest for cultivation involves the felling of trees, the outsiders resorted to call this cave as a Woodcutter Cave (note 3). Somebody, however, clothed their strange invention into the amost Khasi sounding pseudonym Krem Pom Dieng (sic!). This, however, would rather signify a Butcher Wood Cave (note 4) or even a Cave of the 2.9 m-Slaughter (note 5) than a Cave [of the] Wood-cutter (note 6). So far, I saw this cave has been referred to as Krem Pom Dieng Anonymous (2012.03.10 Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Team 2 Diary, Wednesday 15th February) Wood Cutter Cave Anonymous (2012.03.10 Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Team 2 Diary, Wednesday 15th February) Wood Cutters Cave Brooks, S J (2012.08.15: Meghalaya 2012 - Mawsynram GPS Locations 15-8-2012.doc) Woodcutter Cave Brooks, S J (2012.8.25 Re Woodcutter Location update) Woodcutter's Cave Brooks, S J (2012.8.25 Re Woodcutter Location update). SITUATION: Georges … located the cave by following a small stream bed uphill towards the Scap/Cliff Face [sic!] … Woodcutter's Cave is located quite near to Mawpun. In fact it lies a little way (some 0.5 km) back along the road from the Mawpun Bridge [note 7] towards Mawsynram. Certainly not a 40 km Suo drive - nor a walk [note 8]. Georg locates a bridge on the road from the Jynniaw Caves to Mawsynram at GPS N25 15' 25- E 091 34' 28 (WSG 84) this is where the dry stream bed that Georg followed up hill to find Woodcutter's Cave passes under the road. Essentially you would start walking to the cave from this point (Brooks, S J 2012.8.25 Re Woodcutter Location update). GEOLOGY: … Palmer [note 9] records … [from somewhere] near Mawsynram (25°18': 91°34') the occurrence of limestone (his Nummulitic Limestone) underlaying coal-bearing sandstone and also of glauconitic Arkose of Mahadek age at Laitsohum (25°16'45”: 91°34'), 2 miles [about 3 km] south-west of Mawsynram. On examination of the sections … it was found that the glauconitic Arkose of Laitsohum is overlain northwards on higher grounds by Langpar shales which, in turn, are succeeded by a limestone bed. This limestone bed is unconformably overlain by the coal-bearing sandstone. Fossils collected from this limestone sow that they are similar to those found in the Laitryngew Limestone bed [note 10]. These limestone beds would correspond to the -Impure Earthy and Sandy Limestone- described by Ghosh [note 11] from the southern foothills of the Shillong Plateau. However, the limestone bed exposed at Laitryngew and Mawsynram are much purer, the Laitryngew one analysing 52.75% CaO. The limestone bed is exposed between latitude 25°18' (Mawsynram) and 25°19'36” (Laitryngew) but is not exposed at the latitude (25°13') of Mahadek where the bed is missing due to erosion before the deposition of the Cherra Sandstone … (BAGCHI, T C 1964: 491). CULTURAL HISTORY: 2012.02.15: Andre Abele, Georg Bäumler, Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns, and Sharareh -Shary- Ghazy discovered on a Wednesday in February 2012 that this Wood Cutter Cave is not only a place where one can exercise taking some pictures in the galleries and boulders in view of carrying them -- the pictures -- out of the cave and back home but also an undergrund site where one can commence the cultural activity of afterwards do some shopping in the market [note 12] and on the way back to the IB (Anonymous 2012.03.10 Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Team 2 Diary).ow that they are similar to those found in the Laitryngew Limestone bed [note 10]. These limestone beds would correspond to the -Impure Earthy and Sandy Limestone- described by Ghosh [note 11] from the southern foothills of the Shillong Plateau. However, the limestone bed exposed at Laitryngew and Mawsynram are much purer, the Laitryngew one analysing 52.75% CaO. The limestone bed is exposed between latitude 25°18' (Mawsynram) and 25°19'36” (Laitryngew) but is not exposed at the latitude (25°13') of Mahadek where the bed is missing due to erosion before the deposition of the Cherra Sandstone … (BAGCHI, T C 1964: 491). CULTURAL HISTORY: 2012.02.15: Andre Abele, Georg Bäumler, Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns, and Sharareh -Shary- Ghazy discovered on a Wednesday in February 2012 that this Wood Cutter Cave is not only a place where one can exercise taking some pictures in the galleries and boulders in view of carrying them -- the pictures -- out of the cave and back home but also an undergrow that they are similar to those found in the Laitryngew Limestone bed [note 10]. These limestone beds would correspond to the -Impure Earthy and Sandy Limestone- described by Ghosh [note 11] from the southern foothills of the Shillong Plateau. However, the limestone bed exposed at Laitryngew and Mawsynram are much purer, the Laitryngew one analysing 52.75% CaO. The limestone bed is exposed between latitude 25°18' (Mawsynram) and 25°19'36” (Laitryngew) but is not exposed at the latitude (25°13') of Mahadek where the bed is missing due to erosion before the deposition of the Cherra Sandstone … (BAGCHI, T C 1964: 491). CULTURAL HISTORY: 2012.02.15: Andre Abele, Georg Bäumler, Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns, and Sharareh -Shary- Ghazy discovered on a Wednesday in February 2012 that this Wood Cutter Cave is not only a place where one can exercise taking some pictures in the galleries and boulders in view of carrying them -- the pictures -- out of the cave and back home but also an undergrow that they are similar to those found in the Laitryngew Limestone bed [note 10]. These limestone beds would correspond to the -Impure Earthy and Sandy Limestone- described by Ghosh [note 11] from the southern foothills of the Shillong Plateau. However, the limestone bed exposed at Laitryngew and Mawsynram are much purer, the Laitryngew one analysing 52.75% CaO. The limestone bed is exposed between latitude 25°18' (Mawsynram) and 25°19'36” (Laitryngew) but is not exposed at the latitude (25°13') of Mahadek where the bed is missing due to erosion before the deposition of the Cherra Sandstone … (BAGCHI, T C 1964: 491). CULTURAL HISTORY: 2012.02.15: Andre Abele, Georg Bäumler, Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns, and Sharareh -Shary- Ghazy discovered on a Wednesday in February 2012 that this Wood Cutter Cave is not only a place where one can exercise taking some pictures in the galleries and boulders in view of carrying them -- the pictures -- out of the cave and back home but also an undergrund site where one can commence the cultural activity of afterwards do some shopping in the market [note 12] and on the way back to the IB (Anonymous 2012.03.10 Mss: Meghalaya 2012 Team 2 Diary).