Abyss of the Virgins: Europe's tallest column in a Sardinian cave

Abyss of the Virgins: Europe's tallest column in a Sardinian cave

One of the largest caves on Sardinia, Ispinigoli contains Europe’s tallest column and a 12 km system of interconnected caves.

The Grotta di Ispinigoli is a karst cave in the Supramonte range, near Dorgali, Sardinia, Italy. It is one of the largest caves on the island, containing the tallest column in Europe and one of the tallest in the world, measuring circa 38 meters in total. This monolith, found inside the cave, leads to a 12 km series of interconnected caves connecting Ispinigoli to San Giovanni su Anzu cave. Inside the cave, traces of human bones and jewelry dating back to the Bronze Age were found. The site was used as a burial place by the Nuragic people. At the bottom of the abyss, remains of the extinct giant otter Megalenhydris were found. This animal is one of four species of extinct endemic otters on the island.

Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Sardinian

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