Sudwala Caves

I had the opportunity to visit a magnificent natural beauty; the Sudwala Caves.  The caves are located in the Mankelekele Hills, south of the town of Sabie.  These impressive caverns are filled with numerous stalactites and stalagmites, which have been built up through two million years.  The cave is filled with towering ceilings and walls and walls of rugged rocks.  One section of the caves, called Owen Hall, is 70m in diameter and 37m in height.  It forms a natural amphitheater which can hold up to 500 people.  Some of these towering caverns are considered to contain the oldest dolomite chambers in the world.

The most famous inhabitant of the caves was Somquba, the son of Swazi King Sobhuza I.  Somquba and his followers kept refuge in the caves while his brother tried to attack them.

 This link will offer you a more in-depth explanation on the history of the Sudwala Caves:

http://www.sudwalacaves.com

The following are pictures that I took while touring the caves.

Both pictures are of a view looking up toward the ceiling of the cave.

Formations found within the cave:

 

Hand-made tools found in the cave:

Devil's Rock - named for the warmer temperatures found in this area of the caves.

Tour guides have named the following formations, 'Lot and His Wife'; in reference to the Bible story of Lot's wife turning to a pillar of stone.  The formation on the left is a suppose to represent Lot and the formation on the right takes on similar characteristics to a pillar of salt. The second picture is a closer view of the formation called 'Lot'.

Formations and striations found on the walls of the caves:

Daily Science Questions:

Look up the following terms - stalactite, stalagmite, and dolomite.  What is the difference between these types of formations?  Go back through the pictures and identify which formations are stalactites and which ones are stalagmites.