SPELAELOGICAL DAUNO GROUP HISTORY

Spelaeological Dauno Group was existing already before 1976, however we prefer to consider this the year by his birth, because in this year the official constitution took place and the first social statute was sanctioned. Association's first years were essentially devoted to the Gargano, karstic plateau which was still mostly introducing to be explored below the spelaeological appearance. Many new cavities were discovered and topographated, and all the acquired material went to enrich the cadastral archive of Speleology's Italian Institute.

Gargano (1976). In the Cave of Morione meander.

1976 represents the year of the turn. The activity in the Gargano intensified and a systematic study of the territory began. In 1977 the group adhered at the Italian Spelaeological Company and founded, together to the greater spelaeological groups of area, Spelaeological Apulian Federation. Since this moment explorative activities and initiatives aimed at the spreading have multiplied. In the October of 1977, together to Spelaeological Group CAI Bolzaneto of Genoa and to Puglia Caves Group of Castellana, we organized the first spelaeological transfer abroad. Our goal was Tunisia where we visited the cave of Djebel Serdj and performed prehistoric and etnographics researches.

Tunisia '77. The Cave of Djebel Serdj.

The following year, 1978, started several initiatives already from time in yard, but what which represented a quality jump in the history of the group, was the realization of our first spelaeology course (the first in absolute organized in Puglia). Twenty the participatings, mostly university students and teachers. Between the teachers which gave theoretical lessons, there were Paolo Forti, Claudio Giudici, Giuseppe Novelli.

Our first Spelaelogy Course (May 1978).

In 1985, near S. Marco in Lamis (Fg) was found out and explored the Chinese Abyss, an inghiottitoio active temporary, very articulate and deep beyond 110 metres. However G.S.D. got the greater explorative results on the Alburni Mountains, in Salernitano. Together to Spelaeological Martinese Group and Spelaeological Group CAI Naples founded A.I.R.E.S. (Intergruppi researches and spelaeological explorations association) c/o the Sciences Department of The Earth of The University of Naples. In this karstic massif new vertical cavities of remarkable extent were explored.

1980 - The Rupistelle Hollow (Alburnums Mounts, Sa).

In the end of the eighties there was an acceleration of the spelaeological activities in the Gargano. These progresses happened also thanks to the cooperation with new spelaeological groups born in the meantime to Rignano Garganico and S. Giovanni Rotondo. In Vieste territory we explored the Grava of Coppa Grande. With his 7 wells it gets down up to a depth of 120 metres and it is the eastern deepest cave of the Gargano. On the Chiancate, near S. Marco in Lamis, we discovered the Abyss of the Foxes, 120 metres depth. Parallely to the activity developed in the Gargano, continued the activity on the Alburnums Mounts. In the Cave of Greenhouse Munich (Castelcivita wood), outdated a bottleneck, we explored a new cave stroke up to -110.

1991. Inghiottitoio 1° (Alburnums Mounts, Sa)

In the summer of 1993, preceded by a short one pre-expedition, we organized one of the first spelaeological countrysides together with Castellana Group Puglia Caves in Albania, country that because of the well known political events recently only has opened its frontier to the Occidentals. The zone assigned us by Albanese Spelaeologic Society was M.Polisit, a calcareous massif located in the centre oriental part of Albania. In spite of diligence the explorative results obtained were modest and that because of a geological not very favourable situation to the deep development of carsismo.However this spelaeological countryside was extremely useful, because however it allowed us to place the bases for the future research campaigns. In fact in the last period of our stay in Albania, a short reconnaissance in the Kurvelesh, a bare karstic plateau

Kurvelesh '94. Shpella Lek Petes (Albania).

located in the South of the country near Tepelene, made us find out a promising very much karstic area. The following year we were again there to explore the caves signalled us. So we discovered several horizontal and vertical cavities, which, even if not presenting kilometric extents, they reveal themselves however very much interesting and repaid us our done efforts and our sacrifices. In 1995 and 1996 we organized other two spelaeological countrysides in Albania and precisely in mountainous chain of the Tomorrit-Kulmakut, at Çorovodë. Time after our last spelaeological countryside, because of new violent tumult, we interrupted our journeys in the Country of the Eagles, which already in times of relative calm, had taken place in a constant tension climate. Besides the spelaeological countrysides in Albania and Tunisia, our Group counts expeditions in France, Turchia, Morocco and Romania.

Morocco '99. Canyon at the foot of Jebel Ayachi (Midelt).

From always G.S.D., besides the spelaeological activity in narrow sense, has promoted and popularized with assiduity the bound didactic and cultural appearances to spelaeology, organizing interventions in the world of the school, thematic shows, congresses, study's seminaries, run of starting to spelaeology; realizing publications and curing the contacts with other spelaeological associations, museums, universities, etc. These activities, thanks to the institution of National Park of the Gargano and of Provincial Natural History Museum of Foggia, in the last few years further intensified.
Group's editorial activity concerns, besides very numerous articles published on specialized print and not, and a little monograph on the Garganico Karstism, a "Guide to the spelaeology of the Gargano" (C. Fusilli - P.Giuliani, Leone Editice,1990), a volume of beyond 200 pages which describes the most interesting cavities of this promontory.

In furthermore, G.S.D. cures the publication of an own magazine (DAUNA SPELAELOGY) that is responsible for disclosing all that happens in Capitanata about spelaelogy.