Archaeologists: 50,000 Years Old Volcanic Cave Discovered in Syria

By H. Sabbagh

Syria (Damascus) - The Syrian Society for Exploration and Documentation discovered recently in Sweida city (Southern Syria) the largest volcanic cave in the country, naming it Soua'ada Cave.

Secretary of the Society Khaled Nuwailati said the exploration and documentation committees organized a walk in December 18 2009 after receiving information on undiscovered caves in that area.

Soua'ada cave was found after removing a large boulder blocking its entrance, revealing volcanic geological formations that are over 50,000 years old. There are numerous spaces that become larger deeper into the cave, with air currents showing that the cave has another opening. It is estimated that the cave is over 3 kilometers deep, which makes it the largest cave in Syria.

According to head of Sweida Department of Archeology Wasim al-Shaarani, the cave was formed by the flow of volcanic lava that cooled down and formed a long rectangular hollow area that expands the further one goes into the depths of the cave, which isn't fully explored yet.

The volcanic caves of Sweida date back to the Paleolithic age which began around 40,000 BC and ended around the end of the third millennium BC. Some of the oldest volcanic rocks found in the governorate date back to the Miocene and Pliocene ages.

The Syrian Society for Exploration and Documentation is a society licensed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. It aims to shed light on important and unexplored historic and natural locations in Syria, exploring archeological locations and virgin forests, organizing field activities, and training volunteers for archeological expeditions.

Source: Global Arab Network.
Link: http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201001024226/Culture/archaeologists-50000-years-old-volcanic-cave-discovered-in-syria.html.