The Black Cave, also known as Pellumbas Cave, is located 650 meters above sea level and is considered one of the rarest karst caves and prehistoric settlements in Albania. It served as an Illyrian settlement, and skeletal remains found within the cave, according to the Museum of Natural Sciences at the University of Florence, belong to the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus), which lived between 400,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Unlike similar karst caves in Europe, this cave also contains human remains, which, according to the Institute of Archaeology, date from the Paleolithic period to the Early Middle Ages. It is believed that the cave has been inhabited since the early stages of human society, approximately 30,000 years ago.
The cave extends 360 meters in length, with a width ranging from 10 to 45 meters. Its height has not yet been conclusively determined. Featuring chambers adorned with stalactites and stalagmites, the Black Cave holds significant scientific value for studying the region’s geological evolution and the circulation of its groundwater.
