Padah-Lin Caves

The Padah-Lin Caves are limestone caves located in Taunggyi District, Shan State, Burma [1]. It is located near a path from Nyaunggyat to Yebock, on a spur of the Nwalabo mountains within the Panlaung Reserved Forest [1]. There are two caves; the smaller of the two is a rock shelter while the larger cave comprises nine chambers connected by narrow passages in a north-south axis, three large sinkholes that let natural light in, and several active speleothem formations [1]. Red ochre paintings of human hands, fish, bulls, bison, deer and other objects are visible at the rock shelter [1]. More than 300 cupules have been documented in the rockshelter [1]. Excavations at the rock shelter from 1969 to 1972 recovered seven pieces of charcoal and bone that were radiocarbon dated to between 1,750 and 13,000 years BP [1]. The excavation also recovered over 1,600 stone artifacts as well as many pieces of bone and red ochre [1].