Ignatievskaya Cave
Игнатиевская пещера | |
Sim river and cave entry | |
Ignatievskaya Cave Location in Russia | |
| Alternative name | Yamazy-Tash |
|---|---|
| Location | on the banks of the Sim River, Sim, Chelyabinsk Oblast |
| Region | Southern Ural Mountains |
| Coordinates | 54°53′57″N 57°46′50″E / 54.89917°N 57.78056°E |
| Type | limestone cave |
| History | |
| Periods | Paleolithic |
Ignatievskaya Cave (Russian: Игнатиевская пещера, also known as Ignatievka Cave and Yamazy-Tash) is a large limestone cave in Russia, in the southern Ural Mountains on the banks of the Sim River, a tributary of the Belaya river. It is part of the Serpievka group of caves, which are thought to contain the northernmost examples of Paleolithic cave art.
Administratively the area is part of the Katav-Ivanovsky District of Chelyabinsk Oblast. It is said to have been named after a resident hermit, named Ignat(ius). The better known Kapova cave is located some 190 km (120 mi) from the Ignatievka cave.
The cave contains microliths, remains of animals and about 160 cave paintings (including that of a mammoth), as well as a stratum of Iron Age settlement. The first paintings were discovered in 1980, including a partial wall painting of a female figure, with the twenty-eight red dots between her legs believed to represent the female menstrual cycle.
The cave has been closed to the public since 2018 due to vandalism concerns. It has been protected as a branch of the Ilmensky Nature Reserve since 1983.