History and present
The Domica Cave had offered a short time refuge for the oldest Neolithic inhabitants of the Eastern Slovakia who were creators of the culture with the eastern linear ceramics – and its local branch so called Gemer Linear Ceramics. However, the cave had been mostly settled by the Neolithic humans of the Bukk Mountain Culture. The original entrance was later blocked by debris and the cave became inaccessible.
The Old Domica was known since long ago. J. Majko penetrated from its bottom through 15 m deep abyss into large underground spaces in 1926 where plenty of archaeological findings were discovered later. Post holes from dwelling objects and fireplaces were discovered in several places of the cave. More than 200 reconstructed containers from sherds as well as a terrace-dug slope in a fine-grained loam on the Styx bank with imprints of stone axes are evidences of ceramics manufacture in the cave. Irons, awls, arrows, the oldest comb in Europe, ring, decorated cylinder bracelet and fishhook represent the peak of Neolithic processing of bones. Also pendants from shells and animal teeth were preserved. Instruments from stone comprise smoothened axes, wedges and mallet with drilled hole and split stone tools – knives and scrapers. The evidence of fabrics making is the finding of a thick fabric imprint in the loam (the oldest one in Slovakia), clay whorls as well as a fragment of the conic weaving weight unit. The rear parts of the cave served probably as sacred and cult places and charcoal drawings were preserved here. Domica is one of the most important finding places of the Bukk-Mountain Culture in Slovakia.
The Club of Czechoslovak Tourists (KČST) built the lower entrance in 1930 and opened the cave for the public, including electric lighting and damming up the Styx in 1932 for the underground boat trip. At present, public has access to 1,315 m, including the 140 m long underground boat ride.
Only occassional underground water courses flow through the cave. The cave was during intensive rainfall flooded several times in the past. So the agricultural activities were guided to prevent speeding up the runoff waters and soil erosion.
The most western part of the cave system, close to the edge ponor dolines, is formed by the Čertova diera Cave. Its underground spaces descend from the opening down to the Styx riverbed. Stick stalagmites are attractive for the visitors. The easy accessible parts near the entrance of the cave are long known. L. Bartolomeides wrote about the cave in 1801. Presumed connection of the Domica Cave with the Čertova diera Cave was realized by J. Majko in 1929.