shallow cave – la cueva pequeña

1. entrance - entrada

2. ground (as in "grind") cavity on cave wall - muesca molida por la pared del cueva

3. long groove - muescas largas

 

Site coordinates: 38.415493, -6.442114

inside the yellow circle - dentro el circulo amarillo

 

Description: This little cave is in plain view and requires almost no athletic ability to enter. It is located on the southernmost ridge of the main sierra, on the eastern side. Image 1 shows the entrance and also it’s possible to see the grooves in Images 2 and 3 on the left wall, at about eye-level.

Image 2 shows a circular impression that, in my opinion, has been ground into the cave wall. Image 3 shows another, longer groove that extends upward into the cave’s ceiling. Taken together, the grooves roughly form an “exclamation point” shape ( ! ).

Speculation: I’ve speculated that perhaps the upper grooves could have allowed smoke to pass out of the cave (as there is evidence of smoke staining the cave walls near its deepest part). Also, that pair of vertical grooves could have caused rainwater to drain and drip in a specific place, to ease its collection.

I have no good explanation for the circular groove. Perhaps a basin could have been held there to collect water dripping from the above channels, or perhaps someone was passing time grinding out a near-perfect circle; I’m perplexed.