Kapova Cave, Prehistoric site in Southern Ural, Russia.
Kapova Cave is a vast limestone cave with multiple chambers spread through three distinct levels. The entrance opens like a natural gateway into the mountain, and its passages contain walls decorated with ancient paintings from prehistoric times.
People first used this cave around 16000 years ago, painting images of the large animals they hunted on its limestone walls. Scientific study began in the 1960s and continues to reveal details about how early humans inhabited this remote region.
The hand stencils and animal paintings reveal what mattered to the people living here thousands of years ago. They left behind a record of their hunting world and daily concerns on these stone walls.
The cave sits within a protected nature reserve near the Belaya River in the mountains. Plan for cool temperatures and damp conditions inside, and wear sturdy shoes since the paths are uneven and sometimes slippery.
An underground river emerges at the cave entrance and creates a startling blue lake fed by limestone-rich water. The vivid color comes from how mineral particles suspended in the water scatter and reflect light.
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