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March 31, 2005
CARAMBIE CAVE
Position:
Light Cave Entrance: WGS84 - 18 18' 23.7" N, 77 33' 46.8" W, +/- 10m
Dark Cave Entrance: WGS84 - 18 18' 22.8" N, 77 33' 46.3" W, +/- 10m
Back Entrance: WGS84 - 18 18' 24.6" N, 77 33' 51.0" W, +/- 10m
Field notes: D.
K. Roggy
Cavers: R.
S. Stewart, I. C. Conolley, D. Roggy, E. Slack
Time in: 10:00 EST, Time out: 12:00 EST
THREAT VULNERABILITY: High
The light cave entrance can be seen from the roadside, at the top of
a steep hill and lying under a small escarpment. The hillside had been
set alight recently and thus the ground was bare. We found the footing
to be difficult as we made our way up the dry, clumpy soil up the 30
to 40 degree slope. From the light cave chamber one goes straight back
and comes to a wall with an opening into a larger chamber, what I would
call the dark cave.. Through the opening is a steep and slippery slope.
Since Jamaica Underground told us that the dark cave entrance would
be an easier way to go through, we went back out, traversed along the
edge of the escarpment and came to the dark cave entrance.
From the dark cave entrance we went into the large dark chamber that
we could see from the light cave. The light of the morning sun showed
through the light cave entrance, then through the hole at the end of
the light cave chamber and into this one. Where the light struck within
the dark cave I found historical grafitti. As far back as 1821 people
had written their names and the year, apparently with coal, and in a
rather elagant fashion. This led me to wonder whether we might find
Taino petroglyphs or pictographs in the same area, as it seemed an obvious
place to do so. With the assistance of Ivor and Elizabeth we looked
around, but found no such evidence of Taino occupation.
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