Terasot Cave Nahal Te'enim - Nahal Te'enim Survey, Western Samaria
- Grid ref.
- 158258/184867
- Location
- Lower Nahal Te'enim
- Elevation
- 179 m above sea level
Description of the cave:
Terasot Cave is a small cave consisting mainly of a single space formed in dolomite of Cenomanian age (Sakhnin Formation). Based on the structure of the cave as a spacious chamber, and in accordance with the cave finds in the nearby surroundings, it is reasonable to assume that the cave was formed under phreatic-hypogenic dissolution conditions.
The cave was discovered by Tuvia Knight, Vladimir Boslov, Shemesh Yaaran and Boaz Langford in October 2012.
The cave has three entrances, one opening in its front and two opening in its ceiling. The main entrance is the one in the front of the cave, its dimensions are 8.2X2.4 m, its general shape is convex and it stands out from afar. This entrance opens at the end of a gentle spur which the stream surrounds in a sharp bend. A small olive grove is planted on the spur and around it there are many agricultural terraces – the source of the cave's name.
The cave entrance leads to a rounded, semi-lit chamber. Its dimensions are 11X11 m and its height reaches 4 m. The chamber floor is covered with soil and a few stones and it slopes down gently from the entrance toward the inside of the chamber. The cave ceiling consists of weathered, sooty rock, probably as a result of campfires of shepherds using the space. In the cave ceiling, near its main entrance, two rounded openings open that appear to have been formed due to weathering of the rock composing the ceiling.
Notes:
- Access to the cave is possible on foot from road 557 (about 850 m). It is possible to reach up to 15 m from the cave entrance by driving a 4X4 vehicle on a dirt road passing through the center of the Nahal Te'enim channel.
Written by: Boaz Langford
