CAVE OF IAPODES AND ITS PETROGLYPHS AN EARLYSLAVIC SHRINE

OFPERUN/KRESNIK

SaaIskriSmrekar
T

Abstract

Some intriguing petroglyphs were discovered in Cave of Iapodes northeast of Ilirska Bistrica,
Slovenia, and thepossibility ofthecave beinga ritualplaceofEarlySlavs wassoonputforward.In
this paper wepresentsomenew findsabout the petroglyphs, thecave,and itsenvironments,toback
up the conclusion that Cave of Iapodes with the petroglyphs really was an Early Slavic shrine,
dedicatedtoPerunspecificallytoitslocalapparition,Kresnik.

1.Thecave

Japodskajama CaveofIapodes/Iapodic cave alternative nameJamapriTrnovskemstudencu A

cave near Trnovo spring (Hrobat Virloget 2014) lies some 3 km NE from the town of Ilirska
Bistrica,SloveniaroughlyinthemiddleoftheIlirskaBistricafossillandslide,at760melevation.

Figure1:insidetheCaveofIapodes.PhotocourtesyofJ.L.

According to the Electronic Cadastre of Caves(2013)CaveofIapodesis 15m long and8m deep,

classified as an overhang/grotto (
spodmol, kevdrc
).Theentrance tothe cave is acollapsedopening,

roughlyovalshaped, 5 mby3m,and 3 mdeep withprecipitouswalls.Thecaveisorientedroughly

inanNNESSWdirection(
fig.2
).

Figure2:aroughgroundplansketchofCaveofIapodes.Drawingbyauthor.

The cave has an overhang in the southern part and a lower level leading to a(nowdefunct)water
source (or a manmade basin for retaining precipitation water). Inside the overhang on the eastern
wallthereisarockyprotrusionontowhichthepetroglyphswerecarved.

2.Thepetroglyphs

Thefirst report ofthe petroglyphsinCave of Iapodescamein2009(Poklar2009),andapreliminary

studywasmadein2014(HrobatVirloget2014).

There aretwodistinct groupsof petroglyphs on theeasternwallofthecave,justinsidethe overhang.

One an anthropomorphic figure is on the edge of a rocky protrusion, and the other group a
overlapping collection of circles and lines can be found on the side of the protrusion,about one
meter totheleft (north)andhalfameterdownfromtheanthropomorphicfigure.Boththelowerparts
of the protrusion are damaged according to Hrobat Virloget the damage is recent and manmade
(
fig.3
).


Figure 3:a rough sketchof the protrusion with petroglyphson the eastern wallofCave ofIapodes.
Drawingbyauthor.

2.1Anthropomorphicfigure

The anthropomorphic figure is carved on the edge of the protrusion, about 170 cm above the cave
floor(
fig.4a,b
).

Figure4a:theanthropomorphicfigure.PhotocourtesyofK.E.G.andJ.L.

The figure is 12,3 cm high and 15,2 cm wide, and the carving is 35 mm deep. It has a circular
segmentforahead,alineforabody,onehandthatiscrossedbytwoshorter lines,andwide straddled
legs,givingtheoverallimpressionofastickfigureman.


Figure4b:theanthropomorphicfigure.PhotocourtesyofJ.L.,drawingbyauthor.

Thelower partof therockisdamagedpossiblycutoffbya powerdrill.Localsremember asetof

carvingsthatare nowmissing asstrange symbols and lines, likea writingthatcouldnotberead
(ibid.), reminiscing Hrabars notion of strokes and incisions, describing a ProtoSlavic writing
system.

Whattheimage representsremains amystery,duetoitsisolation,rathercrudeformandlackoffinds

in the cave. No datable evidence was ever found in the cave or its vicinity, and no systematic
archaeological work has been undertaken as of today. Hrobat Virlogetdiscussesthe possibilitythat
the image could represent a horseman, thecrossedlinesat the end of the handpicturingthehorses
head, and the legsactuallybeingthehorse.Theotherinterpretationby thesameauthoristhecarved
imageisofanarcher,thecrossedlines representingthebow,orofathrower throwingaspearora
lightningbolt. Ofcourse,thepossibilityoftheimagebeing a(relatively)recentaddition,aboundary
markorasimple
ludibrium
,inabsenceofcontemporaryand/ordatableartifacts,remains.

2.2Circularfeatures

Thecarvedcirclesand linesarefoundin the immediate vicinityof thearcher/horseman.Thereareat

leastthree (and possiblyfive)circleswithspokes,andanassortmentoflinesthatcould,accordingto
HrobatVirloget,beapartofanunfinishedpentagram(
fig.5a,b
).

Figure5a:carvedcircularfeatures.PhotocourtesyofJ.L,drawingbyauthor.

Thecarvings hereare much more crudecompared withthe figure,lessprecise,shallower(rarelyover

1 mm deep)andoverlapping. Thediameterofthelargestcircularfeatureis12,5cm.Thesymbolscan
beeasilyidentifiedwiththesunwheel,rathertypical ofmanyculturesandsomewhatubiquitous.The
pentagramifthere isone (or hasbeen intended)islessclear.Again, the part oftherockbelow
andtotherightbearsmarksofdamage,possiblymanmade.

Figure5b:thecircularfeaturesandlines.PhotocourtesyofJ.L.,drawingbyauthor.

3.Historyofthearea

As far as we know, there is anearcontinuous habitation in the broader areaaround IlirskaBistrica

from at least the mesolithic period onwards. Neolithic finds are scarce, but from the Bronze Age
onwards through the Iron Age and roman perioduptoLate Antiquity severalsettlements, hillforts
and larger structures are attested.The Early Middle Agessee the arrivalofSlavs thefirstpermanent
villages and towns (Zemon, Prem, embije, Kneak, Ilirska Bistrica) have their beginnings in the
th
early9
century.

3.1.Archaeology

There areatleast two IronAgehillfortsandextensivewallsofthesameageinthearea,someLate

RomanandEarlyMiddleAgestructuresandatentativeEarlySlavicsettlement(
fig.6
).

Figure6:archaeologicalsitesinthevicinityofCaveofIapodes: 1Gradiehillfort,2drystoneIron
Age walls, 3 Ahac hill fort, 4 possible Early Slavic (?) settlement. Location of Cave of Iapodes is
markedwithacircle.FromGeopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.

Iron Age hill fort Gradie (1)is oneofthelargestin southwesternSlovenia, withovera kilometre
longdrywallwithtowersenclosing severalterraces.Therearetracesofseveralbuildingsand alarge
th th
necropoliswasfound,dating to6
4
century BC.InthevicinityofGradietwoCelticcoinswere
found.Roman remainsinsidethe fortindicateit wasoccupiedduring theRoman Periodandintothe
LateAntiquity(ARKAS2001a)

There areextensive walls (2) runningfrom Gradiehill fort toAhachill fort and backtotheslopes
ofStraicaguarding thenorthernandeasternapproaches.Thewallsare4mwideandareenclosingan
areawheredifferentbuildingsdatingtoAntiquityperiodwerediscovered(ibid.).The wallsappearnot

to be apart ofalargerRomanlimesorclaustra(Osmuk 1986),and aresimilarto wallsaroundPrezid,

attributedtoancientLiburnians(LipovacVrkljanandiljeg2007).

Ahac hill fort (3) dates to La Tne and Hallstatt period. Roman and even Early Medieval remains
within the fort indicate a longer period of occupation. Funerary mounds are found on the northern
slopeofthehill(ARKAS2001b).

On the Sela plateau remains of buildings were reported (Hrobat Virloget 2014) that could have
constituted a shepherds settlement. There are indications this could be an Early Slavic settlement,
howevernoresearchtherewasyetdoneasofwritingthisarticle.

3.2Toponymsandrituallandscape

In the vicinity of Cave of Iapodes there are peaks, valleysandplateausthatcarrynames associated

withSlavsandtogetherimplyabroaderSlavicrituallandscape(
fig.7
).

Figure7:early Slavictoponyms ofthe area and Slavic rituallandscape.1 Cave ofIapodes,2Volji

hrib hill,3kedenchill, 4 Selaplateau, 5Devinpeak,6 Mrzli dolvalley, 7Pekel dolina, 8Suhivrh
peak,9Kneakvillage,10embijevillageandSt.Vituschurch,11IlirskaBistricatownandSt.George
church.FromGeopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.

Volji hrib (2), meaning Wolfs hill or Hill of wolves. Wolf features prominently in Slavic
mythology, and a mythical creature Wolf Herdsman (Master of the Wolves) is present in oral
traditions ofalmostall Slavicnations (Mencej2001).Analysis of WolfHerdsmantalescan,together
with other clues (like the fact that many prominent Christian saints, even Jesus and God himself,

covered the Wolf Herdsman in Medieval times) it can be shown that the Wolf Herdsman
correspondstoanEarlySlavicgodofdeathandcattleVeles/Volos(ibid.).

kedenc(3)is, accordingto Snoj (2009),a hypercorrect spellingof edim,meaning aprotected

forest (editi = to protect, to save). Part of Trieste with a similar name (kedenjc) is known in
Italian as Servola, deriving from latin Silvanus = forest. EarlySlavsdid incorporate forests intheir
ritualsandbeliefs,sothekedencpeak,coveredinforesttothisday,pointstoaSlavicsacredgrove.

Thename ofSelaplateau (4) meanssettlement,andaccordingtoHrobatVirloget(2014)thereare

remains ofbuildingsstillvisible.ItisconceivablethatanEarlySlavicsettlementishere(see4.1),and
furtherexplorationsshouldbeundertakentoproveit.

Thename ofthepeakDevin(5)isderivedfromDeva,meaningmaidenorgirl.Hrobat Virloget(ibid.)

pointedouttheDevin skok(Maidens jump) topographicsituationthatincludesDevinpeak,thedeep
Mrzlidolvalley(Coldbottom,6)withPekeldolina(Hell,7)andSuhivrhpeak(Witheringpeak,8).

Devins jump is basedonanEarlySlavic mythofaMaiden(sungodsdaughter/wife)beingabducted

by a chthonic deityandkept inthecastleon the peakthen saving herself byjumpingoffthecliff.
The Devins jump topography follows the universal form: a peak associated with a chthonic deity
such as Veles, a river valley and an opposite peak, associated with skydeityPerun (mitek2004).
mitek (and Pleterski2014)identifiesDeva asMoko,Slavicgoddessofearthandfertility,andsees
theDevasjumptopographyasarepresentationoftheSlavicgodstrianglePerunMokoVeles.

Here the deepMrzlidol valleyandPekel(Hell)dolinaseparate Devinpeak,associatedwithofVeles,

and Suhi vrh (Withering peak), connected toPerunviathelegendof aneaglelandingon a(sacred)
witheredtreeonthetopofthehill(Katii2008)(see
fig.8
,below).

Kneakvillage(9)derivesitsnamefromSlavictermKnez,meaningDukeorPrince.

embijevillage(10) is named afterSt.Vitus,whosechurchcanbefoundthere(Snoj2009).Thereisa

possibility of the name being derived (also) from embilja/embija, awitch(ordevil) like being
from folk mythologyofVipava valley,Kras and Brkini(to theeastofIlirska Bistrica)apossibility
seen by etymologist Marko Snoj (2015,personal communication) asplausible. embilje are usually
associated with old(roman) roadsand leafinghooves impressions intherocks (Hrobat2004,ok
2012).FurtherstrengtheningtheSlavicconnectionisvillagespatronsaintSt.Vitus,who wasusedby
earlyChristianstocover(ormodernize)theoldSlavicgodSvantevid(Svetovit)(mitek2004).

th
Town of IlirskaBistrica (11)isfirst mentionedin the early15
century.However inthecentreofthe
town thereis achurchofSt.George(from 1720,withsomeearlierpartsconserved),andst.Georgeis
asaintoftenassociatedwithmythicalSlavicbeingsanddeities(Perun,Jariloetc.).


Figure 8: left, Devins jump actual topography east of Cave of Iapodes right: Devins jump
schematictopography,afterPeisker(1928).Geopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.

4.Caveenvironment

TheenvironmentofCave of Iapodesplaysacrucialroleindeterminingtheoriginandfunctionofthe
petroglyphs,andtheidentityofpeoplethathavecarvedthem.Obviously, the cave meantsomething
to the carvers, and reasons for the selection of this particular cave to be a ritual place must be
identified. We present some geological, geographical and even astronomical facts that might have
influencedthereasoningofthepetroglyphsauthors.

4.1Geologyandgeography

Cave of Iapodesliesroughlyinthemiddleofamassivepliocene/quaternaryfossillandslideknownas
Ilirska Bistricafossillandslide(Placer and Jamek 2011). The landslidedominatesthelandscape,the
elevations and valleys are stretching in a general(north)east to(south)westdirection (followingthe
directionoftheslide).

The landslide prevented the formation of deeper caves that are typical for the area: the caves just
outsidethelandslidearebothlargeranddeeper,averagingover50mofdepth,mostofthemclassified
as stairstep shaft, compared tothecaves onthelandslidethatdo notexceed17 mofdepth andare
generally classified as horizontal caves, overhangs and grottoes of 11 caves in the area of the
landslideonlyoneisashaft(ElectronicCadastreofCaves2013).

Of the caveswithin the landslide fourofthem liein themiddleofit(includingCaveofIapodes)and

othersarefoundatthewesternandsouthernborderofthelandslide. Theotherthreecaveslyinginthe
middleofthelandslidearefoundgroupedinavalleynamedkrilje,just belowtheSela plateautothe
southeast ofCaveofIapodes. Two of them, krilja 1, andkrilja2,caregrottoes similarto Cave of
Iapodes,10mlong,and2mand4mdeeprespectively(ibid.).

Cave of Iapodes was reported by locals as a water source, reliable even in the prolonged drought
(Hrobat Virloget 2014). Amanmade retaining wall inside the lowerpartofthecave, builtof stone
and woodenbeams,givessome credencetotheclaim,howeveritis unclearifthestructurecontainsa

truewater sourceorisjusta basin for the precipitation water. The claimofthelocalsthattheywere

visiting the cave
because
of thewateris unreliable,sinceanenclosedandrichspring called Trnovo
spring(Trnovski studenec)liesjust200m tothewest(marked withabluesquareon
fig.7
)ofthecave
andithadplentyofwaterduringourvisitinJune2015,whereasthecavewastotallydry.

4.2.Astronomy

There are some interesting alignments of Cave of Iapodes, the nearby features and the sun. The
kedencpeak isdue eastfrom thecaveandtheSunrisesbehindthispeakattheequinoxes.Similarly,
theStracapeakliesduewestandtheSunsetsthereatandaroundthosedates.

Of moreinterestaretwootherpeaks,Sleme tothenorthwest andVolji hribto the southwest.They

liealmostexactly(towithin4degrees)tothelineofsunsetatsummersolstice(solarazimuth302.53,
Slemeazimuth300)andsunset atwinter solstice (solarazimuth239.16,Voljihribazimuth235).
To an observerstanding attheentrancetotocavetheSunwouldappeartosetjustbehindthosepeaks
atthesolstices(
fig.9
).

Figure9:directionsof sunsetat summerand wintersolsticefromCaveofIapodes.SlemeandVolji

vrhpeaksarecircled.FromGeopedia2013,markingsbyauthor.

We wereinsidethecaveon July20,2015,one day beforethesummersolstice, at6:45PM aray of

Sun entered the cave through the trees andshone upon the wall, nomorethan ametre above and a

10

metre totheleft (north)ofthecircularfeatures carved there. As we sattherein awe,wemanagedto

takejustonephotowithamobilephonebeforeitdisappearedthephotois,ofcourse,lousy(
fig.10
).

Figure 10: photoof the sunbeam and a rough sketch ofits location on thecavewallwith respectto
thepetroglyphs(photoanddrawingbytheauthor).

Thesunbeamat sunsetgetsascloseto the petroglyphs aspossibleexactlyonthedateofthesummer

solstice when the Sun is at its greatest northern elongation. We have determined that the distance
betweenthesunbeamandthepetroglyphsatthattimeisapprox.75cm.

At the winter solstice,the Sun shinesmorethan 3mawayto the north and its raysdo notenter the
overhang(
fig.10
).

11

Figure 11: a rough sketch of the locations of winter and summer solstice sunbeams on the cave
easternwall(drawingbyauthor).

Of course, the cave and itssolsticesunsetalignmentscannotbemodified, yetthosealignmentscould

playadecisiveroleinselectingthisparticularcaveforaritualplace.

5.CavesasSlavicritualplaces

There are at least two caves in southwestern Slovenia thatwere identifiedasa Slavicritualplaces,
both found between Divaa and Lokve, named Mala Triglavca (near Divaa) and Trhlovca (local
spelling Terglouca, Triglavca). Of special interest is Mala Triglavca cave,since it isverysimilarto
Cave of Iapodes,andbecause there are reliable reportsof Slavicrituals beingheld inthe cave (ok
2010).

Mala Triglavca is a small cave, classified as an overhang/grotto, 5m long an2 mdeep (Electronic
Cadastre of Caves 2013). Insidethecavethereisa stalactite/stalagmiteformationthatwasthecentre
th
ofafertilityritualsheldtherewellinto19
century(ok2010).

Atthetop of the stalagmiteformation thereis handcarved hollowandonthelowgrownstalagmite

nearby there is a drilled hole into which the torch handle would most probablyhave been inserted
(ibid.). According to Placer (2010) the stalagmite formation is remarkably reminiscent of a vulva,
whereasthestalactiteoneislesssuggestivebut canneverthelessbesymbolicallycomparedtoa penis,
and both could be seen as symbols of the two mythological figures of (female) Deva/Devaa and
(male) Deva. Pleterski (2014) explains Devaas aphallicformof lighning,ofPerun,andDevaas
thegodessMoko.

InTrhlovcanearLokverainpredictingor harvestpredictingritualswereheld(okandPlacer2011).
Anotherspecialfeature ofthiscaverelatesto the tworockgroupsconsisting ofthreerockseach,one
located roughly70mfrom the entrance,andthesecond justabovetheentrancewall.Itispossibleto
conclude that Trhlovca (local spelling Terglouca, Triglavca) was related to the Slavic god
Triglav/Troglav(ibid.).

6.Someinterimthoughts

Cave of Iapodeslies ata smallplateau inotherwisegentlyslopingvalleythatiseasilyaccessibleand

offers great views ofthearea.Itmayhavebeen an occasional(or evenreliable)water source inthe
middle of pastures. Due to collapsed walls it is basically a precipitous holeintheground, an
impressiveentrancetotheunderworld.

There isnodoubtthearea aroundCaveof IapodesbearsthefootprintsofEarlySlavs.Thetoponyms

and remains of a ritual landscape, with hints at stories of Deva,Perun,andVeles,legendsofWolf
Herdsman and embije witches, the Sacred grove of kedenc and others are clear and visible (see
paragraph3.2).

12

IftherewasanEarlySlavicsettlementatSelaplateau,thecaveisbothnearby (1,5km)and distant,as

thekedenchillwiththesacredgroveliesinbetween,thereforemakingthecaveasuitableplacefora
shrine.

We saw that EarlySlavsused cavesas shrinesandritualplaces (seeparagraph5). The similarity of

stalactite/stalagmite formation Deva/Deva in Mala Triglavca with the rocky protrusion in Cave of
Iapodes bearing the carved figure is striking. The Devas jump topography nearby strengthens the
connectionwithgodsPerun,MokoandVeles.

Moko Veles Perun triangle is a staple of Early Slavicmythology.Perun as the god of thunder
(Perun derives fromProtoSlavicper, to strike so Perunis theonethatstrikes), Mokoas his
wife/daughter, and Veles as his chthonic antagonist, god of death and cattle. There is a cyclical
mythos of Deva (Moko) being abducted by Veles the Beast and taken into the underworld, with
Perun following her, fighting Veles and emerging victorious (with him or his son Jarilo marrying
Moko)until the nextfight.Itisa harvest/yearcycle, with Moko symbolisingthespring,Perunthe
summer/harvesttimeandVelesthewinter.

mitek (2004) reckons that Perun is not actually a name of a deity, but of one of hisfunctions,
namely throwing the thunder(lightningbolt).Thisfunctioncan beretained inthe name of the deity,
like Perkunas of BaltoSlavic religion, but in other places the name (or names) reflected different
aspects of the deity. He proposesthatamong Southern Slavs in SloveniaPerunwascalledKresnik,a
Sungod(godoflight, from
kres
,summersolstice).ThereareotherSlavic deitiesconnectedtothe
Sunandtotheharvestcycle:Jarilo(sonofPerun/Kresnik),Svarog/Svaroi(if theyexisted)andeven
Svantevit(Svetovid).

The line of sunsetat summer solstice (as seen fromCaveof Iapodes, see paragraph4.2)crosses the
church of St. Vitus in embije. We know that in Medieval times St. Vitus covered the older
Svetovid,andthatSvetovidwasthegodoflight,ofthesun.AndSt.VitusdayisJune15,closetothe
summer solstice the time when asunbeamenterstheoverhang inCaveofIapodes andilluminates
the carvings. All hiscan hardlybeexplainedawayasa chancealignment:peoplemust haveknown
thecaveandwereawareofits(religious,ritual,mythical)significance.

The lineofsunsetat wintersolsticecrossesthechurchofSt.Georgein IlirskaBistrica.Admittedly,

th
boththetown and the church are of muchlaterdate(notearlierthan16
century),howeverweknow
that pagan (Slavic) rituals were held in Mala Triglavca cave in year 1820 (ok 2010), so it is
conceivable thatthis alignmentis not randomeither.Thefight between St. George and the chthonic
DragoncorrespondswiththefightbetweenPerun/Kresnik(orhissonJarilo)andVelestheBeast.And
thew werefighting inthemiddle ofthe winter:aroundthewintersolsticeKresnikwins,thedays get
longer,springiscoming.

There isa strongcase that Cave ofIapodes wasaSlavicshrine,dedicatedtotheSunandthecycleof

theseasonsandnottothefertilitycultaswasthecaseinMalaTriglavcacave.

13

7.WhatdothepetroglyphsinCaveofIapodesrepresent?

Figure12:left,carvingsofcirclesandlinesright,theanthropomorphicfigure.PhotocourtesyofJ.L.
(left)andK.E.G.(right).

As we have shown there are two groups ofcarvings inCaveofIapodes (see 2) agroup of circular
features and straight lines, and an anthropomorphic figure. Clearlythe groups werent madeby the
sameartistorevenatthesametime.Thequestionwhichwerecarvedfirstremains.

7.1.CircularfeaturesSunwheels

Acircle,dividedby fourlines into eightsegmentsa wheel witheightspokesisanancientsymbol.

In the Early Slavic mythology it represents a sunwheel and is related to Kresnik / Perun (Kropej
1998), Dajbog (Hrobat Virloget 2014) and Svetovid (thesymbolcan beseenonthefamouszbruch
idol).

Pleterski seesthesunwheelasanideogramconnectingnumbers3and4pointingtoTroglav(Perun
Moko Veles)andreminiscing the four imagesontheZbruchidol:thefertileandtheinfertile pair
(Pleterski2015).

Thesun wheelsofCave of Iapodesarethereforeimages of both the Sun andofthecycleofseasons,

symbols of cyclic time, of fertility (summer) giving way to infertility (winter). They are tellingthe
basicmythoftheSlavs.

7.2.AnthropomorphicfigurePerunorKresnik

Thiscarving(
fig.12
, right)isenigmatic andunique. HrobatVirloget(2014)states it canrepresent an
archer(holding abowinanextendedarm)comparingittoa similarstonemasonsmarkfromie) or
a horseman (graspingthehead ofthe horse with both armsseeparagraph2).However, thebowis
toosmall,andthelineconnectinghorsesheadandbodyisalmostsurelyanaturalfeature.

Ifwelookcloser(see
fig.4a
) thethingthestickmanholds ininhishandsismore orlessaYshaped
one,pointingdownwardsitcanbeconclusivelyidentifiedasalightning.Theanthropomorphicfigure

14

isdepicted inthemiddle ofa throw,withitslegs bowedanditsarmextended.OnlyPerunthrowsthe

lightning.Moreover,since theimageisinsidethecave,wecanimaginePerunshownduringthegreat
underworldfightwithhisgreatestandeternalnemesis,Veles.

The carved sun wheelsandthesunbeamsglancing the figure atthesummersolsticestrenghthen the

ideathatPeruntheThundererisdepictedastheSunitself:asKresnik.

8.Conclusion

In the hills above Ilirska Bistrica lies anexceptional rarity:anEarly Slavic shrinein acave, with a
carving of the god Kresnik himself: he is shown surrounded with sun wheels, throwing lightning
bolts, fighting Veles theBeast,gettingmarried,keeping the Earthfertile and waiting patientlyfor
anothersummer solstice,when alonesunbeamshalltouchhimagain,yearafteryear,formillenniato
come.

And since the venerable Iapodeshadnothingto dowithCaveofIapodes,thecaveneeds abetterand

moredeservingname:

Kresnikscave.

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15

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10.Acknowledgements

Many thanks toGoran Iskriforprovidingtheequipment,SimonRuigajforthehelpinfindingboth

thecaveitselfand the ingenious way ofenteringit,andforproofreading thisarticle and toKristina
Eva Gortnar, Jaka Levstek, and Stephen Wagner who made the trip to the cave an awesome
experienceandwhosephotoswereindispensableinwritingofthisarticle.

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