Fáni-völgyi No 8 Cave

The Fáni-völgyi 8th chamber is located in the Duna–Ipoly National Park in the Vértes Mountains, one of the caves in Szár. The Fáni-völgyi 8th chamber, which consists of two large chambers (the Fáni-völgyi 8th chamber and the Fáni-völgyi 8/a. chamber), together with the Fáni-völgyi 7th chamber, forms the Fáni-völgyi cave series. Archaeological finds from the Neolithic period were recovered from the Fáni-völgyi 8th chamber.

Description

In the outer area of Szár, in the specially protected area of the Vértes Natural Park, the Fáni-völgyi 8th chamber is situated in a forest. It is part of the Fáni-völgyi cave series. Directly next to the Fáni-völgyi 7th chamber, in the descending rock fissure, at an altitude of 262 m above sea level, and about 30 m above the road, the Fáni-völgyi 8th chamber lies. Its location is marked on tourist maps with a cave symbol and the name.

It consists of two horizontal rock hollows with separate entrances, lying side by side, connected by a low rock gate. Both entrances are arched, with a width greater than their height. The floor of the chambers is a stone slab covered with a thin layer of stone rubble and dust. The walls are brecciated. Some small-sized pepper stones can also be observed in the cave. In both chambers of the cavity, which is excellently suited for bivouacking, there is mouflon droppings. The cave was formed in Triassic dolomite by dissolution, later reshaped by freeze‑thaw rock weathering. The cavity is very spectacular, but because of its relatively difficult accessibility and obscurity, few people visit it. No permission is required to view the easily accessible cave that can be entered on foot in street clothing, even though it is reachable over the difficult (steep) terrain.

In 2003 the cave was first called Fáni-völgyi 8. sz. cavity in the literature. The cave appears in the literature under the names Fáni-völgyi 8/a. rock cavity (Kordos 1984), Fáni-völgyi 8/a rock cavity (Egri 2003), Fáni-völgyi 8a rock cavity (Bertalan 1976), Fáni-völgyi 8/a. cavity (Kordos 1984), Fáni-völgyi 8. cave (Egri 2003), Fáni-völgyi 8. rock cavity (Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group 1979), Fáni-völgyi 8. rock cavity (Bertalan 1976), Fáni-völgyi 8. cavity (Kordos 1984), Fáni-völgyi-fülkesor (Alba Regia Cave Exploration Group 1979), Fáni-völgyi–fülkesor (Kocsis 1975), Fáni-völgyi fülkesor 2. member (Kordos 1984) and Vértes 25. cave (Kordos 1979).

Research history

According to the book *The World of Caves* published in 1962, in the Fáni Valley in the Vértes Mountains there are small caves 10–12 m higher than the stream. One of the groups consisting of former members of the Ferencváros Nature Lovers Sports Club Cave Exploration Group, led by János Horváth, continued the exploration of the Vértes Mountains in 1968 and carried out a three‑phase survey of the caves in the mountains. This group surveyed nine rock cavities in the Fáni Valley, partially previously known (designated I–IX). Using the survey, the group produced in that year the plan map, longitudinal section map and cross‑section map of Fáni-völgyi 9. sz. cavity. The maps depict the cave at a scale of 1:100. The plan map indicates the east direction on the map sheet. (The plan map also shows the plan maps of Fáni-völgyi 7. sz. cavity and Fáni-völgyi 8. sz. cavity, and the longitudinal section map includes a section map of the latter.)

According to the 1969 report of the FTSK Cave Exploration Group, János Horváth prepared the map of the 9 chambers of the Fáni Valley (Vértes Mountains) in 1969 using the spring‑autumn cave surveys of 1968. The maps present the caves at a scale of 1:100.

The publication written by Antal Kocsis and released in 1975 states that in the Fáni Valley, 950 m from the branch of the industrial tunnel, on the eastern side of the valley, 30 m higher than the tunnel, a roughly 10 m high, stratified dolomite wall perpendicular to the tunnel runs forward, containing the Fáni‑völgyi–ear‑series. The ear‑series, consisting of three chambers, is 12 m wide. The front two chambers are almost equal in size. Each of the two chambers is 3.5 m wide; one chamber is 1.6 m high, the other is 1.8 m high, and both are 2 m deep. Between them is a passage 1.2 m wide and 0.8 m high. The walls of all three chambers consist of brecciated rock colored by metal oxides. They are filled with rock debris in which animal bone fragments lie. On some points of the wall there are karstic limestone nodules and colonies of higher‑order plants. The ear‑series of the dolomite caves containing the 8th cave of the Fáni Valley is a unique formation in the Vértes Mountains and also considered rare in other mountain ranges. The 6th chamber of the Fáni Valley and the ear‑series in the Fáni Valley are located on the same valley side. The entrance of the 6th chamber is slightly lower, 30 m downstream (DK) from the ear‑series. The map inset in the publication shows the geographical location of the ear‑series. The cave is marked with the number 25 on the map.

In the manuscript titled *Magyarország barlangleltára*, completed in 1976, it is written that in the Vértes Mountains, at Szár, the Fáni-völgyi 8th rock cave and the Fáni-völgyi 8a rock cave are located. The two chambers together form the Fáni-völgyi–fülkesor (2nd part). From the branch of the industrial road to DK, about 950 m away, on the eastern side of the valley, to the left of the Fáni-völgyi 7th chamber (standing opposite the rock wall), this part of the fülkesor is found. Both chambers are 3.5 m long (the cave in total is 8 m long). One chamber is 1.6 m high, the other 1.8 m high. Remains of a collapsed cave at one longitudinal axis. The part of the manuscript describing the cave was written based on two literary works.