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Jamaican Caving Notes |
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Image Cave June 8, 2006 - 14:00-15:30 EST |
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District: Plowden |
Parish: Manchester |
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WGS84 L/L: 17 52 37.1, 77 32 24.1 |
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JAD69: 192658 E, 136178 N |
JAD2001: 692769 E, 636467 N |
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Altitude: 355m WGS84 |
Accuracy: +/- 25m horizontal; +/- 25m vertical |
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Type: Shelter |
Accessibility: Walk-in |
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Depth: 3 |
Length: 20m |
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Explorers: JCO June 8, 2006 |
Survey: None |
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JU Ref: Text - pg 207 (2nd edit) |
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Entrance size: 20m W x 10m H |
Entrance aspect: 200 deg true |
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Vegetation in general locale: Farm, scrub |
Vegetation at entrance: Scrub |
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Rock type: White limestone |
Bedding: Moderate |
Jointing: Poor |
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Speleothems: Stals |
Palaeo resources: Undetermined |
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Archaeo resources: None seen |
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Hydrology: Dry |
Siltation: N/A |
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Dark zone: 0%. |
Climate: Hot, dry. |
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Bats: None |
Bat guano: N/A |
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Guano mining: N/A |
Guano condition: N/A |
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Eleutherodactylus cundalli: Undetermined |
Neoditomyia farri: None |
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Amblypygids: None |
Periplaneta americana: None |
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Cave crickets: None |
Sesarma: None |
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Other species: No trogs |
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Visitation: Occasional - local |
Speleothem damage: None |
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Graffiti: None |
Garbage: None |
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Ownership: Private |
Protection: None |
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Vulnerability: Low |
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Image Cave June 8, 2005 Team: RS Stewart, E Slack, J Pauel, M Taylor, A Yovandich Notes: RS Stewart There are several sites listed to be in the Plowden district of south Manchester, an area we were unfamiliar with. Because we were based in Cross Keys, not far away, for a few days, we decided to do some basic recon in the district. The only site we were able to find in the several hours we spent looking was "Image Cave". However, the site was listed with an uncertain position before, so we were happy with this. The information given for Image Cave in Jamaica Underground is brief: "Image Cave. Plowden Hill. Grid 16-192-137. Type: Unknown. Explorers: GSD. A large cave reported in this area, but not located. A second site reported to be near Marley Hill." This does not match what we found, but the local people who showed us where it was (a very nice family) certainly knew this site as Image Cave. Since the previous information for the site was very uncertain, we feel that we should assign this site to that name, no matter if confusion in the past caused a different cave to be listed as Image. Image cave sits high on the great hill that rises from the south coast, east of Alligator Pond. It is a wide shelter, with no real dark zone. The height of the entrance is about 10m rapidly lowering to a few, and the width at the outside is about 20m. It extends at the deepest for about 10-12 metres in. There is a fine view from the cave, as well as the approach. The approach to this cave is a track that switchbacks down from a minor road, to finally approach the entrance from the east, and slightly below. The name of the cave, and the location (high and dry, and near the coast), suggested that there might be Taino glyphs or pictograms, but a close look found nothing. I could only receive GPS satellites in the southern sky (the north being blocked by a high rock wall), so the accuracy of the position is not great. However, it should be within 25m (probably closer to 15-20), and a little searching along the cliff will soon find it. I neglected to wrote down the name of the family who assisted us, but must thank them all the same. They were a great help, and the mangos were delicious. |
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