Hidden Earth 2023
Nagaland caving expedition 2022-2023
45 minute Film|Dan Harries
Abstract
Nagaland is a state in northeast India on the border with Myanmar. The terrain is rugged, steep and densely forested. From the 19th of December 2022 to the 6th of January 2023 a multinational team of cavers visited an area in the east of the state with the aim of exploring and documenting the local caves. To our knowledge, this represents the first attempt to systematically map Nagaland caves. Although the surface terrain posed significant challenges for access, a total of 33 caves were documented and mapped. None were particularly extensive and consisted of dry, inactive fossil passages. Nevertheless, the caves were of distinct cultural, archaeological and biological interest. The caves are under specific ownership of local tribal clans. The dense bat colonies of the caves are viewed as a food resource and are periodically harvested. Prior to the arrival of Christian missions, some caves were used as ancestral burial sites and show evidence of differing burial traditions. The bat colonies are associated with abundant communities of invertebrates and troglobitic cockroaches appear widespread. This presentation will give an overview of the findings of this expedition and will include a 30-minute film documenting the search for caves.
More from 2023
Lecture|Kristian Brook
Huautla System Speleological Project (PESH) 2023
Lecture|Andy Goddard and Rob Thomas
Recent Exploration in Northern Thailand
Lecture|Dachstein Caving Expeditions
The Dachstein Caving Expeditions 2022 and 2023
Lecture|Paul Taylor
Forest of Dean Round Up
Lecture|David Hardwick
Caves of the North Bristol Outcrop
Lecture|Simon Brooks
Caving in the Abode of the Clouds, Meghalaya 2020 to 2023
Lecture|Bernard Lips, Jean-Philippe Dégletagne & Michael Laumanns
A new African Master Cave in the Kongo Central?
Lecture|Christine Grosart
Wild World: Izvor Licanke - all in the planning.
Lecture|Simon Brooks
Peak District Round up 2020 to 2023
Workshop|Peter Glanvill
Cavers' Just a Minute