CHEHEL SOTUN, Jalrez (Cave of the)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The Cave of the Forty Colums (note 1) is noted, despite of its elevated location at about 3000 m asl, for surprisingly well developed speleothems and an exceptionally rich cave life. TRIMMEL (1968: 265 after LINDBERG 1962b) points out that stalagmite caves like Grotte des Tchehel Sotoun are few in Afghanistan (note 2). SITUATION: West of Kabul and about 15 km north-east of Jalrez (note 2) lies the pretty little cavelet somewhere on one of the spurs of a mountain, which, called Kouh Zambourak (note 3), stands above the Sanglakh (note 4), a tributary from the north-east to the upper reaches of Kabul River. TRIMMEL (1968: 265 after LINDBERG 1962b) locates Grotte des Tchehel Sotoun in Maidan district and west of Kabul. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Judging from the cave descriptions in LINDBERG (1958: 116; 1961a: 7) a passage length of (considerably?) more than 35 m can be expected. The entrance (about 2 m wide and just high enough to allow a small person to enter without stooping) leads to a tunnel-haped gallery (of which the initial part is 7 or 8 m long) which runs up to large pillar on the right-hand side. A comfortable sized right-angle bend to the left enters into a more spacious, 10 or 15 m long gallery. This is very wet and the water falls in drops from the ceiling into mud exposing the rocky floor of the cave. The gallery ends in a chamber (about 5 to 8 m wide and 2 to 3 m high) where, on the left-hand side and close to the floor, a low passage is found. The entrance is guarded by four or five small pillars and gives access to a bypass (2 to 3 m wide, 7 or 8 m long) at ceiling height. In this pretty little cavelet the speleothems (calcite decorations) are beautifully developed: there are numerous stalagmites (almost all very vertical), stalactites, small draperies (bacon) and cauliflower stal (botryoidal speleothems). The ceiling and floor are cut by many -endroits- (inlets?) which are re-shaped by water and tufa deposits. The cave floor is covered with soil, mud and rocs. CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1949a: 38-39) reported quills and excrements of porcupine (Hystrix), numerous bones of goats and other large domestic animals. LINDBERG (1961a: 7) observed a large pile of porcupine droppings in once corner of the cave: From experience I know it's difficult to find any important cave fauna at high altitudes in Afghanistan. The cave of Tchehel Sotoun at Sanglakht is an exception. ROEWER (1962) determined -Araneae Dionycha- (Sparassidae: Heteropoda afghana sp.n.). JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1747, 1748) list Insecta: Coleoptera: Pterostichinae: Laemostenus rigrevanensis COIFFAIT (guanophile, troglophile); Insecta: Coleoptera: Cholevidae: Eocatops lindbergi Coiffait. JÄGER (2005: 90-92 figs. 2-11) provides additional illustrations and diagnoses for Araneae: Sparassidae: Heteropoda afghana Roewer 1962.haped gallery (of which the initial part is 7 or 8 m long) which runs up to large pillar on the right-hand side. A comfortable sized right-angle bend to the left enters into a more spacious, 10 or 15 m long gallery. This is very wet and the water falls in drops from the ceiling into mud exposing the rocky floor of the cave. The gallery ends in a chamber (about 5 to 8 m wide and 2 to 3 m high) where, on the left-hand side and close to the floor, a low passage is found. The entrance is guarded by four or five small pillars and gives access to a bypass (2 to 3 m wide, 7 or 8 m long) at ceiling height. In this pretty little cavelet the speleothems (calcite decorations) are beautifully developed: there are numerous stalagmites (almost all very vertical), stalactites, small draperies (bacon) and cauliflower stal (botryoidal speleothems). The ceiling and floor are cut by many -endroits- (inlets?) which are re-shaped by water and tufa deposits. The cave floor is covered with soil, mud and rocs. CAVE LIFE: LINDBERG (1949a: 38-39) reported quills and excrements of porcupine (Hystrix), numerous bones of goats and other large domestic animals. LINDBERG (1961a: 7) observed a large pile of porcupine droppings in once corner of the cave: From experience I know it's difficult to find any important cave fauna at high altitudes in Afghanistan. The cave of Tchehel Sotoun at Sanglakht is an exception. ROEWER (1962) determined -Araneae Dionycha- (Sparassidae: Heteropoda afghana sp.n.). JUBERTHIE & DECU (2001: 1747, 1748) list Insecta: Coleoptera: Pterostichinae: Laemostenus rigrevanensis COIFFAIT (guanophile, troglophile); Insecta: Coleoptera: Cholevidae: Eocatops lindbergi Coiffait. JÄGER (2005: 90-92 figs. 2-11) provides additional illustrations and diagnoses for Araneae: Sparassidae: Heteropoda afghana Roewer 1962.