Luobi Cave () is a
karst
Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
cave under the west face of Yin Ridge () located north east of Lizhigou Town (), from
Sanya
Sanya; Chinese postal romanization, also spelled Samah is the southernmost city on Hainan Island, and one of the four prefecture-level cities of Hainan, Hainan Province in Southeast China, South China.
According to the Sixth National Populati ...
City,
Hainan
Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...
Province, People's Republic of China.
Features
The entrance to the cave is approximately high and wide. Inside the apex reaches a height of with a floor area of about
Two large
stalactite
A stalactite (, ; , ) is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension (chemistry ...
s hang down from the roof like large pens, hence the cave's name.
History
A number of inscriptions carved into the walls of the cave are believed to date to the
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan dynasty ( ; zh, c=元朝, p=Yuáncháo), officially the Great Yuan (; Mongolian language, Mongolian: , , literally 'Great Yuan State'), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after Div ...
(1271–1368). One of these refers to the precise date of 1283 CE.
Luobi Cave is later mentioned in
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
records for Hainan () compiled at the time of the
Zhengde Emperor (r. 1505–1525 CE) which note the cave's stalactites and their unending flow of water.
Archaeological finds
Between 1992 and 1993, archaeologists carried out a comprehensive excavation and survey of the Luobi Cave over an area of .
They discovered eight fossilised human teeth, stone and bone tools, as well as several hundred fossilised animal bones, more than 70,000 sea shells and evidence of ancient fires.
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...
techniques show that the finds are from the late
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories ...
era around 10,000 years ago and represent the earliest evidence of human activity in Hainan as well as the southernmost occurrence of stone tools from this period.
Very few fossilised fish bones were discovered at the Luobi site, indicating that the inhabitants of the cave had yet to master the skill of fishing. The few fish they did obtain were probably found in rocky pools along the coast having been swept ashore.
Since 2001 the Luobi Cave has been a national protected cultural site.
Folklore
According to legend, anyone coming into contact with water dripping from Luobi Cave's stalactites will become a talented writer whilst a number of large flat rocks scattered across the floor of the cave are said to be
inkstones once used by
Taoist
Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
Immortals. The smaller Xianlang Cave () nearby is claimed to have been the home of female immortal who descended from heaven and married a man from the local
Li minority.
See also
*
List of caves in China
*
List of longest caves
References
{{Navbox prehistoric caves
Caves of Hainan
Karst caves
Karst formations of China
Tourist attractions in Sanya
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Hainan
Archaeological sites in China
Paleolithic China