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Merdivenli Magara |
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For cave maps and drawings please click on the picture... |
For photographs please click on the photo... |
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Type: |
Cave | |||
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Altitude: |
60 m | |||
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Depth: |
m | |||
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Length: |
31 m | |||
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Region: |
Mediterranean | |||
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Province: |
Hatay | |||
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District: |
Samandag | |||
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Village: |
Magaracik | |||
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| Location: This cave site is located southwest of the city of Antakya; in the caves immediately southwest of the village of Magaracik; 4-5 km northwest of the town of Samandag. This cave does not have a local name. Senyürek and Bostanci; who discovered the site; at first called it "Cave 1" and later began referring to it as "Merdivenli Magara" which literally means "cave with steps". |
| Structural Properties and formation : It is 36-39 m high from the present sea level; and the biggest length is 23 m; the width 6 m and height 4 m. The entrance faces southward. The Merdivenli Cave and other caves in the vicinity are within the Miocene limestones on the southern skirts of the Musa Mountain. On the western and eastern walls of the cave and some part of the ceiling; there are remains of hard sandstones including fossil of mammals; bones and teeth and shells of land snails. Therefore; researchers interpret that the cave used to be full of freshwater up to the ceiling. Traces of quarrying by the inhabitants of the ancient city of Selevkeia are visible; particularly on the western wall. Also; there are stairs carved up outside the cave by the same quarriers. Probably the cave was named after these stairs. |
| Research History: Following the discovery in 1956; the excavations carried out in three seasons in 1956 and 1957 were led by M. Senyürek and E. Y. Bostanci. The excavations were conducted in a very large area including six trenches. It was mapped by T. Haass in 1956 [Ozbek 1992:213]. |
| Findings: It has been reported that five layers were uncovered in the cave; and Layer 1 was dated to the Roman Age; Layers II and III to the Upper Palaeolithic Age and Layers IV and V to the Middle Palaeolithic Age. |
