Körös Cave

Körös Cave is one of the caves in Hungary that are specially protected. It is the cave located at the greatest altitude above sea level in Hungary. It is located in the Bükk National Park.

Description

Between Virágos-sár Hill and Körös Mountain opens its two‑meter‑high and five‑meter‑wide curved entrance. In the entrance area a large opening leads to the surface that lies five meters higher. It formed in middle Triassic and upper Triassic limestone. It extends 2–6 meters from the surface. It is an old, dying, inactive spring cave. Its horizontal extent is 40 meters. Only a lamp is needed for entry. It is freely visitable.

Its name comes from the name Körös Mountain. In the literature it also occurs as Köris kürtő barlang (Kordos 1984), Körös-bérci-barlang (Gazdag 1990), Köröskő-barlang (Bertalan 1976), Köröskő lyuk (Fényes 1851), Köröskő-lyuk (Sásdi 2003), Körös-lyuk (Sásdi 2003), Kőrös-barlang (Kadić 1933), Kőrös-bérci-barlang (Hevesi 2002), Kőrös-lyuk (Hevesi 2002), Nyáj-barlang (Bertalan 1976) and Nyáj-barlangja (Bartalos 1909). In 1976 the cave was first called Körös-barlang in the literature.

Research history

First, in 1851 Elek Fényes briefly described it as Köröskő lyuk. According to the description 300 pigs can easily fit inside. In 1929 Ottokár Kadić edited its first cave maps, a plan view cave map and a longitudinal section cave map, and a trial excavation took place then. In the summer of 1941 a larger excavation was carried out in the cave. In the 1942 edition of Országjárás it was mentioned that it is one of the notable caves of the Bükk Mountains, located at the border of Szilvásvárad, beneath the top of Körös Mountain.

In the 1944 Cave Investigation publication written by Ottokár Kadić and Mária Mottl, the cave is described in detail and Kadić Ottokár's research in the cave is presented. During the excavation six layers were distinguished, which contained a rich middle and upper Pleistocene fauna. Cave bear and cave lion bones also appeared from the fill. A few fragments of pottery and other objects found are from the Stone Age. Kadić Ottokár recommended to Alfonz Pallavicini, the owner of the area, the extraction of the guano detected here and this was indeed carried out. In 1944 it was declared a protected natural value.

In the Hungarian speleological bibliography published in 1976, compiled by Károly Bertalan and László Schőnviszky, the cave in the Bükk Mountains at Szilvásvárad is mentioned under the name Körös Cave with the variant Nyáj Cave. The cave name index lists 7 literary works that deal with the cave.

According to the manuscript titled Hungary's Cave Inventory, completed in 1976, the Körös Cave located in the Bükk Mountains at Szilvásvárad has additional names Köröskő Cave and Nyáj Cave. On the D side of the Körös ridge, below the summit, at about 930 m a.s.l., is its wide, arch‑shaped entrance. The cave, consisting of a series of chambers, is 40 m long. Pleistocene bone remains were recovered from its fill. The part of the manuscript concerning the cave was written based on one publication.

In the part written by Dénes György in the book edited by Attila Hevesi and published in 1977, it is stated that it is probably the oldest cave of the mountain range. According to the book *Caves in the Bükk* which saw the light of day in 1979, the Körös Cave, also called Nyáj Cave, is 38 m long. It was also a habitat for animals, as its name suggests. On the map attached to the book, which shows the area of the Bükk Mountains richest in caves, the geographical location of the cave marked with number 103 can be seen. In the national cave list published in 1984 in the book *Caves of Hungary*, the cave located in the Bükk Mountains appears under the name Körös Cave with the name variants Köröskő Cave, Nyáj Cave and Köris Kürtő Cave. Related to the list, the geographical location of the cave is shown on a 1:500 000 scale map depicting the locations of the caves of the Aggtelek Karst and the Bükk Mountains.

In 1987 Márton Juhász produced a new plan map and a new length‑section map. In 1988 the second layer‑identifying excavation in the cavity took place, led by János Hír. At that time a small mammal fauna consisting of many species was recovered from it and the age of the previously found finds became known, and fish scales were also present at the bottom of the stratigraphic sequence. In 1989 János Hír carried out another palaeontological excavation. In 1990 János Hír had a research permit for the cave investigation. In 1991 members of the MÁFI Cave Research Group surveyed and compiled a plan map, an extended longitudinal section map, as well as cross‑sections.

In 1991–1993 László Sásdi studied it from a geological point of view. He determined that the Körös Cave is an inactive spring cave, which was active in the Pliocene. From 8 April 1993, according to the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development decree 12/1993. (III. 31.) KTM, the Körös Cave in the Bükk Mountains is a specially protected cave. Because of its location, geological and paleontological value it became a specially protected cave. From 17 May 2001, according to the Ministry of Environment decree 13/2001. (V. 9.) KöM, the Körös Cave located in the Bükk Mountains is a specially protected cave. At the same time the provision 1/1982. (III. 15.) OKTH concerning the determination of the circle of specially protected caves loses effect. In the book Hungary's Specially Protected Caves published in 2003 it is stated that it is 42 metres long, 8 metres high, with an 8‑metre vertical extent and a 40‑metre horizontal extent.