Remete-hegyi No 7 Cave

The Remete-hegy No. 7 cave is one of the caves located in the Remete Gorge in the Danube–Ipoly National Park.

Description

In the Budai Landscape Protection Area, in the outskirts of Remeteszőlős, in a specially protected area, in the forest, on the east side of the Remete Gorge, on the steep and rocky side of Remete Hill, is the entrance of the cave. It is located in the middle cave level of the gorge (this level lies 70 m above the valley floor, at an altitude of 340–350 m above sea level). Numbered from north to south among the caves in the Remete Gorge, according to the rock chambers, the Remete-hegy No. 7 cave opens in the 2nd rock chamber, about 30 m higher than the Upper Cave of Remete Valley located in the same rock chamber, above a debris pit. Its entrance is at 340 m above sea level.

The small cave is 18 m long and has a floor area of 42 m². After a slightly narrow, sloping entrance corridor there is a half‑dome chamber, dome with a 5 m diameter. There are dissolution marks everywhere on the walls and the ceiling. The floor of the hall is covered with stone debris and clay. To the left a flat and about 6 m long crawlway begins. The cave, which is open and equipped with basic cave‑passage facilities, can be visited without a permit.

In 1984 the cave was first called Remete-hegy No. 7 cave in the literature. In the literature the cave also appears as cave No. 7 (Horváth, Szunyogh 1971), K. I. cave (Kordos 1984), K. J.‑cave (Kazay 1915), K.J. cave (Bertalan 1976), Máriaremetei 1st cave (Bertalan 1976) and Remetehegy 7th cave (Bertalan 1976).

Research History

The 1877 Archaeological Bulletin mentions that the antiquities department of the Hungarian National Museum was enriched in November by one (animal) lower jaw, two bones and three pottery shards. These finds, which came from a rock shelter located near Remetemária in Buda, were donated to the museum by Lajos Lóczy. The 1904 Budapest Antiquities notes that the rock shelters of Remetemária were probably Stone Age pasture sites, from which Lajos Lóczy (Archaeological N., 168/1877) brought coarse pottery fragments to the Hungarian National Museum.

According to an article published in the 1915 volume of Turisták Lapja, written by Endre Kazay, Endre Kazay and Gyula (Julius) Tödter went on a hike to the Máriaremetei gorge on an October day to inspect the gorge's caves. Endre Kazay jumped from a rock on the gorge's rocky hillside and saw in front of him a cavity with a low entrance. At first fear seized him, then joy and the pleasant feeling of discovery filled him, because Gyula Tödter, who ran to his shout and knew the gorge well, did not know this cave. The cave entrance faces north and is 2.8 m wide, but it is so clogged that only a 40 cm high opening remains on one side. Through this opening one could see into a sloping passage. Gyula Tödter immediately prepared to crawl into the opening and had the sense to crawl not head‑first but on his arm with his leg forward into the cavity.

In the cave they lit a candle and told Endre Kazay that they had stumbled upon a dome‑shaped, dried‑out stalactite cave. Endre Kazay followed the trail to explore the cave, but Gyula Tödter illuminated with his candle a point on the entrance wall so that the deep, old incised inscription K. J. could be seen, indicating that someone had already been there. Endre Kazay was somewhat reassured and was only comforted by the fact that the two letters were not inside the cave but where sunlight reaches the wall. This meant that the discoverer of the cave had not gone further inside. The cave entrance opens with a 3 m long fall at a 25° angle. The cave has long had no visitor because of the rock debris and earth blocking the entrance. The traces on the damp ground and the many bone fragments are evidence that the cave was the dwelling of a wild animal, probably a fox.

They prepared the cave plan and longitudinal section map, then examined the narrow corridor about 2 m long leading to the D direction, as well as the two low‑entrance cavities on the east side. Both continue further, only their entrances need to be widened. On the north‑east side of the cave there is a protruding, snake‑head‑shaped stalactite formation, which is relatively solid. The other formations, however, are dry and crumble. This cave, if the earth were removed from its entrance, would be as beautiful as the Remete Cave, although smaller in size.

It is difficult to find the cave that Kazay Endre called K. J. cave or 1st chamber. The best guide is the Remete Cave and the lime‑kiln chimney opposite it. Descending from the mountain top, the Remete‑hegyi 7th chamber cave lies such that the Remete Cave is to the left, toward K, about 20° in the direction of the lime‑kiln chimney. The cave’s dimensions are shown on the attached map. Kazay Endre went further from the cave about 12–20 m north and found the exit used by a fox living in the cave. Not far from the K. J. cave a large cavity was found, but they could not enter it, as well as another cave, the 2nd chamber cave. The study includes the plan map and longitudinal section map of the 1st chamber cave made by Kazay Endre. The publication shows the site plan of the Mariaremete cave region, on which the geographic location of the K. J. cave is marked. The site plan was prepared by Kazay Endre.