Solkota Cave Natural Monument () is a karst cave 2.3 km to the north of village Kumistavi, known for nearby Prometheus Cave Natural Monument, in Tskaltubo Municipality in Imereti region of Georgia,Solkota Cave in Georgia Protected Planet 20 km from Kutaisi. Cave is located on the left bank of river Semi, 379 meters above sea level. სოლკოტას მღვიმის ბუნების ძეგლი Morphology Solkota Cave formed in Sataphlia-Tskaltubo karst massif. Cave entrance is at the bottom of a well in a karst topography covered by vegetation. From here steep corridor expands to 10-15 m and morphs into horizontal floor that leads to a chamber with height of almost 30 m. Cave has an interesting diversity of chemical sediments, stalactites and stalagmites. Of particular interest are stalactites of 5 m thickness, size which is rare in Europe. Also notable is an 8 m high stalagmite with the circumference of 8.5 m at it bottom and 4.5 m in the middle.
Fauna The inhabitants of the cave include Trachysphaera, Colchidoniscus, Laemostenus, Arrhopalites, Pygmarrhopalites, Plutomurus and Oxychilus.Barjadze, Sh., Arabuli, T., Mumladze, L., Maghradze, E., Asanidze, Z., Kutalia T. Solkota Cave 2019, Cave Biodiversity of Georgia, Open Access Database. Institute of Zoology at Ilia State University
Paleontological findings The cave is a paleontological and in particular a molecular paleontology monument. Solkota Cave stalagmites preserved ancient DNA molecules of mammals (bear, roe deer, bats) and plants (chestnut, hazelnut, flax).Stahlschmidt, M.C., Collin, T.C., Fernandes, D.M. et al. Ancient Mammalian and Plant DNA from Late Quaternary Stalagmite Layers at Solkota Cave, Georgia. Sci Rep 9, 6628 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-43147-0 Bones of cave bear has been found here. ბუნების ძეგლი სოლკოტას მღვიმის ბუნების ძეგლი - წყალტუბო
See also Prometheus Cave Natural Monument References