Игнатиевская пещера | |
 Sim river and cave entry | |
  Ignatievskaya Cave Location in Russia | |
| Alternative name | Yamazy-Tash |
|---|---|
| Location | on the banks of theSim River,Sim, Chelyabinsk Oblast |
| Region | SouthernUral Mountains |
| Coordinates | 54°53′57″N57°46′50″E / 54.89917°N 57.78056°E /54.89917; 57.78056 |
| Type | limestone cave |
| History | |
| Periods | Paleolithic |
Ignatievskaya Cave (Russian:Игнатиевская пещера, also known asIgnatievka Cave andYamazy-Tash) is a largelimestonecave inRussia, in the southernUral Mountains on the banks of theSim River, a tributary of theBelaya river.[1][2] It is part of theSerpievka group of caves, which are thought to contain the northernmost examples ofPaleolithic cave art.
Administratively the area is part of theKatav-Ivanovsky District ofChelyabinsk Oblast. It is said to have been named after a resident hermit, named Ignat(ius). The better knownKapova cave is located some 190 km (120 mi) from the Ignatievka cave.
The cave containsmicroliths, remains of animals and about 160cave paintings (including that of amammoth[3]), as well as a stratum ofIron Age settlement.[4] The first paintings were discovered in 1980, including a partial wall painting of a female figure, with the twenty-eight red dots between her legs believed to represent the femalemenstrual cycle.[5][6]
The cave has been closed to the public since 2018 due tovandalism concerns. It has been protected as a branch of theIlmensky Nature Reserve since 1983.
Although most sources associate the paintings to theUpper Paleolithic,[4][7] the age of the drawings continues to be debated. Theradiocarbon dating of the charcoal drawings has resulted in more recent numbers, between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago. The attempt to date the red pigment of the female figure yielded no result.[8] In this respect, the age of the drawings remains unclear so far.[3]
According to a 2021 study,[9] the age of the Ignatievskaya Cave paintings, as determined by 230Th dating offlowstone, is constrained to the Upper Paleolithic period, specifically between approximately 78,000 and 10,000 years ago. This range is derived from 230Th dating of flowstone that formed before and after the paintings, indicating that artistic activity occurred during a period when flowstone did not form due to permafrost conditions in the Southern Ural. Additionally, 14C dates from cultural layers associated with artistic activity, containingochre, suggest a narrower timeframe of 18.3–15.8 ka BP (calibrated), consistent with the Upper Paleolithic.[9]
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