Füzér-kő Cave

The Füzér-kő passage is among the specially protected caves of Hungary. It is located in the Bükki National Park. Archaeological finds have been recovered from it. The Füzér-kő is the second longest cave after the Füzér-kői 5th cave. The site is a cave that has remained in an almost natural state, whose further investigation may yield interesting results.

Description

In the Southern Bükk area, at the meeting of the Hór valley and the Long valley, on the eastern, Hór-valley side of the Füzér-kő. It is the best‑known cave of the Füzér-kő. A tourist trail marked with a red stripe in the Hór valley runs in front of it. About 30 metres above the valley floor, 22–23 metres above the road leading up to it, the cave is located in the middle of a rock wall. Coming from the centre of Cserépfalu into the valley, it opens on the left side of the valley. Technical equipment is required to approach the entrance. Since it is a passage cave, there are two entrances. One entrance is six metres wide and five metres high, the other entrance is 6.5 metres wide and six metres high.

Formed in Upper Triassic limestone. Currently a hydrologically inactive spring cave. It contains several stalactite flags, hanging stalactites, micrite crust, typical (spherical) pepperstone and coral pepperstone. According to a preliminary survey its length is 33 metres. Its depth is one metre, its height 5.7 metres and its vertical extent 6.7 metres. These are partly data from a preliminary survey, partly estimated data. Its horizontal extent is 22 metres, its volume 120 cubic metres. It is easily walkable without equipment.

László Schőnviszky described it as the Füzérkői passage in the 1937 volume of Turisták Lapja. The name Füzérkői passage appeared in Ottokár Kadić's study published in 1940. In 1979 János Hír mistakenly called the Füzér-kői Small passage, which he examined paleontologically, the Füzérkői passage or Füzérkői passage. The misunderstanding was clarified in 1980. The information about the Füzér-kői Large passage and the Füzér-kői Large passage is found in Attila Hevesi's work published in 1986. These two names are variants of the name Füzér-kői passage.

In the literature the cave occurs under the names Füzérkő cave (manuscript Bertalan 1976, printed Kordos 1984), Füzér-kői cave (Bertalan, Schőnviszky 1973–1974), Füzérkői cave (Mottl 1932), Füzérkői cave (Kadić 1933) and Füzérkői Small passage (Hevesi 2002). In 1976 the cave was first called the Füzér-kői passage in the literature.

Research history

Gyula Bartalos examined it first. In February 1932 János Dancza and his colleagues carried out an archaeological excavation in the cavity because during their trial excavation on 22 November 1930 they discovered many prehistoric pottery fragments there. On 20 February 1932 they finished the excavation in the passage. In 1932 János Dancza surveyed the cave and, based on the survey, drew a plan view cave map. The first publication about the cave appeared in the 1932 volume of Barlangvilág. This publication is an excerpt from the minutes, according to which the Hungarian Cave Research Society held a specialist meeting on 19 March 1932, at which János Dancza reported that he had excavated the cave and the Suba hole, and at the meeting Dancza gave a detailed presentation of the caves' topography, stratigraphic relationships and finds. The investigation of the Suba hole was halted there because of the finds considered more important.

In the 1933 volume of Barlangvilág, Ottokár Kadić wrote that János Dancza had already carried out a trial excavation in the passage before the 1932 excavation, during which many prehistoric pottery shards were uncovered. The newspaper Est, in its issue of July 20, 1935, revealed that Mayor Géza Trak supported János Dancza’s 1932 excavation with 300 pengő. According to the issue published on August 8, 1936, János Dancza’s first success was the excavation of the Füzér-kői passage. In the 2nd issue of Turisták Lapja in 1936 it is written that after the beginning of the Suba-hole excavation, the local Uhu people moved into the Füzér-kői passage.

In the publication written by László Schőnviszky, which saw the light of day in 1937, the cavity is described in detail under the name Füzérkői passage. According to the study, the two‑entrance passage cave, as well as two connected chambers, are located in the Tereckai valley at the border of Cserépfalu and can be reached only by rope. The description also reveals that Gyula Bartalos conducted excavations in the cave, during which prehistoric vessel remains were uncovered. The 1938 Geologica Hungarica Series Palaeontologica shows that József Csóka, head of the forest office, authorized the 1932 excavation of the Danczas. According to Népszava of June 3, 1939, János Dancza carried out the excavation in 1932 to enrich the collection of the museum being prepared in Eger.

In the 1940 issue of *Barlangkutatás* Kadić Ottokár described it in detail. In the journal, besides the description, a photograph of the passage also appeared and the location of the cave is shown on a map. The paper states that Bartalos Gyula also carried out a trial excavation in the five parts of the cave. The results of Bartalos Gyula’s excavations were reported in writing. The manuscript is in the library of the Zirc Abbey. The manuscript was copied by Legányi Ferenc and from the copy János Dancza noted the following: Among the many Csernekő caves there is a notable one, which was climbed with a six‑step ladder together with forest manager Heim Ede. There they found a columned, open passage with upward and downward chimney‑like cavities, hearths and old scattered pottery shards.

In this publication by Kadić Ottokár it is also noted, referring to the 1932 issue of *Barlangvilág*, that on 22 November 1930 János Dancza went into the cave with Nagy Imre, descending by a 14‑metre rope, during which they examined, measured and drew up a plan of the cave and the cave plan sections. On that day János Dancza dug a test pit 35 centimetres deep in one corner of the passage and from there several pottery shards, a few bones and a shell fragment were recovered.