An expedition near the town of Kardzhali in Bulgaria led to the discovery of a strange and complex cave.
Named after the Utroba cave (строба), which means «belly» in Bulgarian, it is decorated with
sculptures and rock niches, one of which remarkably resembles the human vulva. So,
was it the result of natural processes or something else?
Upon closer inspection of the Utroba Cave, the researchers discovered that some of
its features had been intentionally carved by humans, including a crevice that seems to
have been widened and formed in the rock face with semicircular sculptures.
Something designed so carefully suggests that it has probably already served an important purpose.
As for the authorship, it could be the work of a group called the Thracians,
associated with several sanctuaries dug into the rock in the region.
They were an ancient people who covered a part of Europe that includes modern Bulgaria,
where the Utroba cave was discovered.
They date back to 3500 BC. and had an advanced culture that included various art forms,
including poetry and music.
Beyond its vulvar niche, the Utroba Cave covers an area of about 2 square kilometers,
where there are several rock formations and engravings that indicate the cultural importance of the site.
According to the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria, it would have been the place
of rituals including sharapanas, rock basins made by humans to contain wine during cultural ceremonies.
Part of the magic of Utroba comes to life when the light strikes just at noon and «enters» the
cave through a small opening, thus improving its aesthetics.
«It is called [Utroba] because of its shape, which resembles a woman’s uterus,» they write.
«An altar is engraved at the inner south end of the cave.
The light projection at the entrance moves along the walls and the floor of the cave,
in synchronization with the movement of the sun.
It reaches its maximum around noon and extends along the central axis of the cave
to an artificially created altar resembling a female uterus.
Many questions arise about what exactly could have happened in the cave. In a 2018 article,
Evgeni Koev hypothesizes that it could be a protected space for people trying to conceive,
or for ritual offerings aimed at promoting life — be it pregnancy or agricultural activities.
Koev suggests that some parts of the cave also have similarities with fruits and cereals in their shape,
so they may also have served to improve soil fertility.
Many questions remain as to who used the Utroba cave and what exactly it meant to them,
but this collaboration between the natural rocky imperfections of the earth and the artists of
antiquity is certainly a remarkable feature of the Bulgarian landscape.
