Station: [47] Speleology – the Study of Caves

What equipment is required for potholing? In the past, all you needed was a felt hat and a carbide lamp, perhaps a wire ladder and a safety rope, a tape measure and compass as measuring tools. These days, there are helmets with LED lamps, special protective clothing and electronic measuring devices. Even immersion probes are used!

And, very important then as now: never go potholing on your own! Three people to a team at least!

The scientific study of caves – speleology – is a wide subject. It deals with documenting caves, and its scope has long since been extended to take in the protection of caves and underground biotopes.

Roughly speaking, a distinction is made between three fields of research: anthropospeleology, biospeleology and geospeleology. The first of these deals with the use of caves by humans from the Palaeolithic to the present. But it also examines the role of caves in legends, literature and custom, as well as the history of cave research. Biospeleology deals with the cave as habitat, with its living organisms, and, as a segue to geospeleology, also with the fossil remains of earlier cave dwellers such as the cave bear. Finally, geospeleology addresses the formation of caves and the changes they undergo in the course of their – often very lengthy – existence.

Take a look at the display case on the right to find out about the scientific exploration of the Franconian caves – which began in around 1700 and then really got going in the late 19th century.

If you think you might have caught the bug, our organisation is always looking for people who have just discovered an interest in the subject of speleology. We’re training the next generation, so if the idea of combining science with adventure and a sporting challenge appeals to you – feel free to contact us!