This page was translated from Hebrew and has not been reviewed yet. The Hebrew page is the reference. עברית

Caves of the Carmel and the Menashe Hills

Sifon Cave, Carmel

Grid ref.: 148462/238188
Location: Mount Carmel, Nahal Sfunim

Description of the Cave:

Sifon Cave is a medium-sized hypogene cave consisting of a single passage 28 m long and 4 m deep at its maximum. The cave has a large rounded opening (4.5X3 m), opening on the southern bank of Nahal Sfunim, about 20 m above the stream bed. Despite its size, the opening is not visible from afar because it is hidden by a large terebinth tree. The host rock in which the cave developed belongs to the Cenomanian Arqan Formation, with its outer part composed of hard limestone and its inner part of soft limestone.

The cave passage developed along a joint in an east-southeast direction, consisting of a main level that continues with local ascents and descents. Another local level developed about 10 m from the opening, above a rock saddle in the floor. The upper level is built of a narrow passage in which most of the speleothems in the cave were deposited. These include mainly stalactites, flowstone sheets, and elephant ears - all dry. An active stalactite is seen in the ceiling of the lower level, close to the two-level area. On the rock saddle beneath the upper level a conical cupmark was cut whose rim diameter is ~15 cm and whose depth is similar. Apart from the rock saddle, most of the floor is covered with dark, loose sediment, in which hyrax and porcupine droppings are mixed. Over most of the floor area no significant sediment accumulation formed, except in the opening area and at a few points inside the space.

Signs of porcupine and hyrax activity were observed in the cave, as well as several arthropods, including: various spiders, mites, a few fleas (in the opening area), and a few ticks (the cave tick).

Written by: Boaz Langford

Elevation: +150 m