History of the Jasovska Cave exploration

Entrances of the caves belonged to the system of The Jasovska Cave were known from time out of mind. The Jasovska cave is countered to oldest accessible caves in world. In 1846 a public access of the cave was made by Alojz Richter which was a superior of the premonster canons in that time. Trips in the cave was organized by the Kosice's Assembly of the Hungarian Physicians and Natural Historians Society. According today's titles, next passages were made accessible: Vstupna chodba (Entrance Passage), Kamenna chodba (Stone Passage), Jedalen (Dining Room), Stary dom (Old Dome), Maly kostol (Small Church), Dom netopierov (Bats Hall), Hlinena chodba (Clay Passage) and passages behind the Bats Hall (Srdcova komora - Heart Chamber). Difficult junctions were equipped by the wood steps as well as the bridges in passages needed in its. Parts from entrance to Dining Room were enlarged in that time.

The cave was made accessible by a modern way on July 20, 1924 and electrically illuminated in 1926. In the 1931 a new entrance was driven into cave and a new portal of entry was arranged. Very undesirable influence to the cave has got the time amount of the 1939-1949 years when the cave was owned by the premonsters' order, respectively during and closely after the Second World War, when an equipment of the show cave was neglected and expressive damaged.

In 1878 J. Nyari realized an archaeological research in the cave what is oldest known us. The first systematical research of the cave accomplished by geologist and paleontologist T. Kormos in the 1916. An extensive archaeological research in the cave headed prof. J. Eisner was realized in years 1924-25. In 1955 a correction archaeological research was accomplished by V. Lozek for more exact dating. L. Olexa headed a rescue archaeological investigation in 1978 for a modification of the entrance part. A short report about results can be found on page Archaeology in the Jasovska Cave. There was realized a paleontological investigation in the cave (on picture).

The bear bones has been found often (28kB).

In 1923-24 the Jasovska Cave was explored speleologically by V. Bluma, which drawn a plan of the cave too and by J. Zikmund, which exactly surveyed the cave passages. J. Miticky and S. Furin realized next speleological exploring in cave in the 50th years. A. Droppa did a detail geomorphological research of the cave in 1962. Members of the today's Speleoclub CASSOVIA explored the cave in the 70th years (headed by M. Zacharov ). List of papers with the results of the Jasovska Cave investigation is on the page Bibliography about the Jasovska Cave.

SLOVAKIA CAVE SERVER prepared by Eduard Kladiva (Old Cave Dog) from Speleoclub CASSOVIA . Please send all comments, notes and corrections on e-mail kladiva@saske.sk.