©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project





Horatasi

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Horatasi
Type:
Horizontal Cave
Altitude:
170 m
Depth:
-3 m
Length:
65 m
Region:
Marmara
Province:
Tekirdag
District:
Saray
Village:
Ayvacik

     


Location: Located 8 km northwest of the Saray District; it lies on the northern skirts of the Yanosman Hill; right on the bank of the Ayvacik (Ergene) Creek. It can be reached from the Kavacik Village; which is at the 5th km of the Saray-Vize motorway or the village road of Saray-Ayvacik. The road connecting the Kavacik and Ayvacik villages and passing through the Ayvacik Creek passes right across the cave. It is located next to the Kücük Kalasli Cave.
Structural Properties and formation : The vicinity of Horatasi Cave consists of the Paleozoic milonitic gneisses comprising the basis of the Istranca Massif; and the overlying Eocene aged Kirklareli limestones; and the Oligocene silty-sandy-chalky limestones and the Plio-Quaternary sand and pebble deposits. Being a passage type of fossil cave which halted its development; it is a characteristic form of Pliocene. Elongating in the east-west direction in compliance with the development of the paleo Ayvacik Creek flowing; producing meanders on the Pliocene deudational surfaces; it became surfaced by disintegrating through morphological evolution resulting from quaternary movements.
Research History: It was explored and mapped by MTA in 1998. It was also explored in 1999 under the Eurasian Bridge '99 Project.
Findings: It houses a very rich fauna community. The most characteristic forms of life are bats. With a big colony; they are everywhere in the cave; and so much that they even make it difficult to move farther. Among other forms are gray-black molluscs; big cave flies and guanobia.


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