Amazing Serbia
THE UNDERGROUND PALEOLYTHIC MUSEUM

At the entrance to Aranðelovac, from the direction of Topola, on the right side of the small river Kubrsnica, there is Risovaca Hill, with the Cave under the same name, famous among scientists under the name „The Underground Paleolythic Museum“. Risovaca Cave was discovered by coincidence, in 1953, destroying 20 meters of the entrance section. Then, the archaeologic exploring was started and the fossils of cave bear, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, bison, cave lion, deer, leopard and other animals that lived in the nearby steppes during the last Ice Age were found.

Stone and bone tools were discovered, as well,confirming the Risovaca Cave was a habitat of the Neanderthal hunters in the medium stage of the older Stone Age. It includes currently the prehistoric man, the Neanderthal hunter type reconstructions, made in the natural size, the figures representing a family around the fire, the members of which carry out usual activities at that time. A man returns from hunting, another one polishes stone, making a tool and a woman brings wood for the fire place. Along the main cave channel, there are the figures of cave bear and cave lion.

      

Risovaca Cave is 135 meters long, almost 190 meters with the side channels. It is the best explored cave in Serbia as regarding archeology/paleontology/speleology and, since the leaf shaped knife, peak, bone knife and polishing tool were found in it, it is considered as one of the five caves in the Balkans, where the Neanderthal prehistoric man lived as hunter.

The semi-precious stone Marble Onyx was found in the Risovaca Cave, as well, created by action of the mineral waters flowing this way. 110 thousand years ago, when they were creating the cave, they were cold and later on, hot waters arrived, deposited and were in physical/chemical processes, creating this stone. Nowadays, such waters are famous under the name Knjaz Milos. The cave has got also aragonite, the stone that can be rarely found in the nature. Its characteristic is to group crystals opposite from the gravity force.

The last cave zone contains also the Coral or Snow Room, characteristic for the decoration look in the form of the snow coral. In the niche, there is also the cave jewelry in several colors, deriiving from various mineral types.

Due to its natural characteristics and cultural/historical values, Risovaca Cave was declared a Monument of Nature and Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance. It is arranged by all modern presentation principles and receives annually thousands of local and international visitors.

 

   

   

   

The Cave opening hours

Daily, other than January 1,
from 9.00 a. m. - 5.00 p. m.

 

The National Museum of Aranðelovac

+ 381 34 712415, 722883
muzejar@ptt.rs
www.muzej-arandjelovac.org

 
     
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