Cave of Vecsem Spring

Vecsem-forrásbarlang is among the specially protected caves of Hungary. It is located in the Aggtelek National Park. Together with the other caves of the Aggtelek Karst and the Slovak Karst, the cave has been part of the World Heritage since 1995.

Description

From the centre of Bódvaszilas to the ENE 1.6 km, in the Komjáti outskirts, on the side of Alsó-hegy, at the foot of the hill behind the Vecsem spring that emerges, under the Vecsem flood spring valley, 15 m east of the flood spring valley, at about 185 m above sea level, in a forest, in mountain‑foot debris, in rock climbing, is the entrance of the Vecsem-forrásbarlang. In the stream located in front of the cave a fallen tree can be seen. It is easier to approach the cave from Bódvaszilas than from Komjáti. Tourist maps mark the location of the Vecsem spring with the name of the spring. The cave entrance is 70 cm wide, 1 m high, broken, irregularly shaped and oriented horizontally.

In middle Triassic Wetterstein and upper Triassic Hallstatt limestone, the periodically active spring cave was formed by the action of flowing water. It is fissure‑type and horizontal‑type. Typical cross‑section types are the fissure cross‑section and the irregular cross‑section. Stalactite poisoning can be observed in it. It can be entered only at low water levels and with little water, because at high water levels there is already a siphon at the entrance. The unsealed cave can be visited without permission with basic caving equipment.

The cave has three water sinks identified by hydrological methods: the Kopaszgally‑oldali 2nd water‑sink cave, the Meteor cave and the Pócsakői water‑sink. The Kopaszgally‑oldali 2nd water‑sink cave is located 2200 m away and 225 m higher. The Meteor cave is located 1790 m away, 237 m higher. The Pócsakői water‑sink is 2100 m away in a straight line. Of the two specially protected caves of Komjáti, one is this cave, the other is the Betlehem‑zsomboly.

In 1984 the cave was first called Vecsem Spring Cave in its literature. The cave appears in its literature under the names Vecsem-flood spring (Nyerges 1996), Vecsem-spring flood spring (Kordos 1984), Vecsem spring flood spring (Nyerges 2002), Vecsem spring flood eruption sites (Nyerges 2002), Vecsem-spring-cave (Csernavölgyi, Hegedűs, Molnár 1977), Vecsem spring cave (Vlk 2019), Vecsem spring cave (Jánossy 1976) and Papkerti spring ancient eruption site (Kordos 1984).

Research history

In the travel guide *Aggtelek and its surroundings* published in 1961 it is written that the most prominent peak on the Hungarian side of the Lower Mountain, at the foot of Vecsembükk, emerges the Vecsem spring, a karst spring with a very fluctuating water discharge. Probably a cave system is located behind the spring deep in the mountain. In March 1964 the connection between the Pócsakői water sink and the Vecsem spring was demonstrated with fluorescent water dye. The water painted on March 24 appeared in the spring six days later. The straight‑line distance between the Pócsakői water sink and the spring is about 2 km.

In the summer of 1964 the Red Meteor Cave Research Group had a research camp at the Vecsem spring, where the researchers deepened the shaft to the flood spring mouth. In the spring and summer of 1968 the VMTE Toldi Cave Research Group removed a large amount of rock from in front of the mouth of the Vecsem spring to prepare the exploration of the many‑kilometre cave system between Meteor Cave and the Vecsem spring. Between August 14, 1970 and August 28, 1970 the VMTE Vass Imre Cave Research Group and the VMTE Tektonik Cave Research Group had a research camp. The camp’s aim was to build a roughly 25 m long guide line that was needed for the opening of the Vecsem spring.

On March 15, 1975, during the dismantling of the spring, László Törő collected animal remains (earthworm, frog, an exactly undetermined Lacerta species, bird, bat, spotted salamander, snake, field rabbit, badger) and sediment sample from the soil at a depth of 2.3 m, as well as a thin-walled pottery fragment that is glazed on the inside but unglazed on the outside. The sample was sent to the Hungarian State Institute of Geology through László Csernavölgyi. The finds are probably Holocene in age, probably not older than the Middle Ages as determined from the pottery fragment. The exact age of the material could not be determined because of the indifferent fauna composition and the preservation of the finds. Its fauna is like that of the fossil spring source fauna found not far from the Vecsem spring.

The report written by Dénes Jánossy and published in the 1976 MKBT Report mentions that a scattered paleontological find from 1976 emerged from the cave named Vecsemforrás cave on the Aggtelek karst (László Csernavölgyi). The Central Cave Research Group of the VMTE had a research permit in 1976 for the investigation of the Vecsem spring system. In the summer of 1976 the VMTE Tectonics Cave Research Group opened the spring mouth for about 8–10 m in length. At the end of the passage, the work became life‑threatening because of large rock blocks supporting and forming the ceiling. The uncovered passage advanced 30–60 cm above the stream, which at that time had been reduced to a very low water level. The excavation had to be terminated because of the sagging of the terminal ceiling.

In the 1976 MKBT Report, which came to light, the report written by László Kordos mentions that the exploration of the Vecsem Spring cave is being carried out by the VMTE Tectonics Cave Research Group led by László Csernavölgyi. From the blocked spring, László Törő collected sediment samples and bone remains in 1975 from a depth of 2.3 m. These were from the Holocene. In 1976 László Csernavölgyi and László Kordos took soil samples from the cave. The examination of the soil samples confirmed the dating results of the previous year. In 1976 various snails, fish, forest frog, goat frog, lizard, common newt, snake, various bird species, mole, mouse, forest mole, forest shrew and rat-toothed shrew were identified from the cave. Miklós Szabó and Gyula Csöndör (members of the VMTE Tectonics Cave Research Group) surveyed the cave in July 1976, after which Miklós Szabó used the survey data to produce the cave plan map and four cross‑section maps.