Râpa Roșie
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Râpa Roșie (Romanian for "red ravine") is a protected area, a natural monument of national interest in Alba County, Romania. It is a geological and botanical reserve, located in the extreme southwest of the Secașelor Plateau [ro], on the right bank of the river Secașul Mare, about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north of Sebeș. With a size of approximately 24 hectares (59 acres), the reserve is classified as IUCN Category III.[1]
Râpa Roșie National Reserve/Natural monument | |
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Location | România |
Nearest city | Alba County Sebeș |
Coordinates | 45°59′15″N 23°35′29″E |
Area | 24 ha |
Established | 2000 (1969) |
Erosion and runoff has given it a prominent, sharp rocky appearance in the mountainside. Râpa Roșie itself measures approximately 10 ha (25 acres) in size. Râpa Roșie stretches over a length of 800 metres (2,600 ft). Its height measures between 50–125 metres (164–410 ft) (300–425 metres (984–1,394 ft) absolute altitude). A huge wall, almost vertical, gives the impression of a ruined ancestral monument. Tiered columns and pyramids, separated by ravines, form a badlands microrelief.
The first report of a Coțofeni culture find at Râpa Roșie was made by Fr. W. Schuster in 1865.[2] It was the first archaeological exploration made by him which revealed remnants of large and small pottery that had ornamentation, which also attested to the Coțofeni culture.[2][3]