Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura
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Czech republic - 21-Sep-19 -
Paleolithic cave fine art has romantic conotations for me. There is very popular Czech (children) book called Mammoth Hunters past Eduard Storch, first published in 1918, but information technology became famous due to very realistic illustrations by Zdenek Burian in 1937. Information technology is based on archeological excavations in Southern Moravia. The almost famous artefact from this identify and period is the Venus of Dolni Vestonice, which is effectually 25-29 000 years old (Gravettian period), and it is the oldest known ceramic statue in the world. Thus, cavemen vest to a common noesis in Czechia, at least for my generation.
Thus, I was quite surrprised that fifty-fifty older statues (Aurignacian period, ca. 40 000 years onetime), not ceramic but fabricated from basic, were establish in Primal Europe and that the places of their origin were inscribed as WHS recently. I did a 24-hour interval trip to Ulm in September 2019. I had no ambitions to run across everything, and I wanted to run into at least ane original antiquity in museum and feel the mural of the core zone.
I visited the museum in Ulm that has quite late opening time (11am). I arrived to Ulm by railroad train quite early (9am), and in a meantime I visited the magnificient cathedral and nearby interesting places (municipal hall, Danube beach, fishermen commune, etc.) The museum is modern and quite interesting simply my highlight was patently the statue of the Lionman (Lowenmensch in German) fabricated from mammoth ivory found in the Lone valley nearby Ulm. In that location are likewise copies of other artifacts from the period such every bit the Venus of Hohle Fels (original in Blaubeuren museum) and reconstruction of original appearance of the Lionman, that is good to put everything into the context (all texts in german only). As I was the first visitor in Thursday morning and only the group of shool kids was in museum with me, nowbody cared about takeing photos...
After enjoying the beautiful statue of the Lionman and takeing a lot of pictures, I skipped other expositions in the museum and run to the railway station to go to Blaubeuren as before long equally possible. Subsequently arrival to Blaubeuren (12:30) I decided to walk to the inscribed caves first with a danger that I miss the "Urgeschichtliges Museum" (closing time 5pm). It was very nice sunny September day. I walked uphill in direction Schillerstein forth quiete side-road that goes to the core zone. Later on quick descent from the road I approached the view point over the Ach valley - the core zone of WHS (Photo - actually it used to be Donau/Danube valley during paleolithe) and to the start cavern: (1) Geissenklosterle - the rocks around the cavern are quite impresive, merely the archway is covered past fence. And so I walked by local route forth corn fields, Ach river and quite noisy master route towards other two caves. (2) To get to Sirgensteinhohle I had to cross the main road and notice the mode up to the cave. The rock is nicely visible from distance but I was non certain if it is even possible to approach information technology. I had to walk effectually the main road for few hunderd meters in direction back to Blaubeuren (non pleasent but doable..) to the minor parking-place. There was a tiny path to the property. It was possible to enter the cave and this place was the most authentic 1 from 3 I visited. (3) Than, it took only short fourth dimension to reach the final inscribed cavern in Ach valley: Hohle Fels. I was surprised it was opened for visitors... The cave is quite big with interesting displays close to the entrance, so I could come across the copies of the Venus and the flute besides equally other pieces. Unfortunatelly, the guides could not speak English language.
Afterwards visiting the cave (around 15:00), I return to Geissenklosterle, climbed uphill to the forest route in direction Blaubeuren. Every bit information technology was sunny day, I decided to take a beer and late lunch in "Waldgaststatte zur Schillerstein". I returned to the railway station and caugth the train to Ulm at 5pm. So, I missed the museum just enjoyed the Ach valley instead.
All in all, it was very nice trip to the caves with the oldest art... However, none of the caves or even the Ach valley are extraordinarly spectacular, and the primary road that goes through the valley is very very agonizing. To empathize the OUV that is expressed by artifacts, you need to visit several museums and read a lot of thick books, only I got it in this case.
Els Slots
Holland - 28-Apr-22 -
The Caves and Water ice Historic period Art in the Swabian Jura was a welcome improver to the WH Listing this year for those ticking off Western European WHS on weekend trips. Recent reviews of it by Hubert and Clyde have already paved the way regarding all practical details necessary for a worthwhile trip. The site lies some 620km from my home, and I visited it by car with a stop-over in Darmstadt. I decided to not visit all locations, but instead, practice some ruddy-picking amongst the inscribed caves and associated museums with a special focus on seeing the figurines.
My day of exploration started at the Archäopark Vogelherd. At the park entrance, there is a pocket-size exhibition room, and that'south where I found my two first figurines: a mammoth and a cavern lion. Both are tiny objects. They are on show in a brandish instance each, and there'southward nix else in the room. The mammoth is easy to recognize as such and is in perfect shape. It has to exist admired from the "front" though, every bit the other side is much rougher. This seems to suggest that it was a brooch or similar ornament worn on clothing or the body.
The other figure is said to represent a cave lion. With some imagination a tiger or a puma equally nosotros at present know them can be seen in the object. "Cave lions" were widespread in the age of the early homo sapiens and could abound bigger than mod lions. They probably had no manes, hence the similarity with other big cats rather than male lions. They did not actually alive in caves (phew!) only did sometimes enter them to surprise a hibernating carry.
In this Solitary River Valley area I also visited the Vogelherd and Hohlenstein Stadel caves. Both are fairly large, enough to provide shelter to families during the harsh wintertime.
In the early afternoon, I arrived near the other cluster of sites, in the Ach Valley. I started at the Urgeschichtliches Museum in Blaubeuren. This undoubtedly is THE museum to go and run across when you want to learn more about the Ice Age Art of this region. Information technology displays various attributes such as the raw materials (mammoth bones) and the tools that were used. Virtually objects that are shown were found at the nearby Hohle Fels Cave. In this museum, I saw my first examples of the "primeval musical instruments", one of the claims to fame of this WHS. The flowery clarification in the nomination file might suggest early pianos or harps, only these "instruments" are all flutes.
The museum also has a number of figurines. There is a diving bird (which looks like a duck), a tiny lion human being and the prize slice of the collection: the Venus of Hohle Fels, "the oldest undisputed example of a depiction of a human being yet discovered". This one fifty-fifty has a whole exhibition room to itself! The female figurine was only discovered equally recently equally 2008.
I ended my twenty-four hours at the Hohle Fels cave. This was a pleasant surprise as well. It really is a huge cavern. A music group was performing inside, using "ancient" instruments.
I always thought that when I really had the coin I would showtime collecting Netsuke – Japanese miniature sculptures. These small-scale Water ice Historic period figurines, more often than not made out of mammoth os, reminded me of them. There are then few left (about 50). But even in this day and age, they can exist admired as art objects.
Klaus Freisinger
Austria - 25-Aug-17 -
I recently went to Ulm to have a await at the newly inscribed Ice Age sites, and I picked the Vogelherd and Hohle Fels caves as the ones easiest to reach by public transport. Both tin can be done in a 24-hour interval (I went on a Sun in summer), but because there are just iii daily buses to Vogelherd (from the railroad train station in Niederstotzingen), I could not visit the museum in Blaubeuren, as I had originally planned. The Vogelherd cave is part of the Archaeopark, a nice little museum/visitor centre/archaeological event centre. A relatively short walking path takes yous to the actual cave, which is actually quite small and open to the elements - hard to imagine how people back then would take survived a strong winter. In the afternoon, I took the train (via Ulm) to Schelklingen, from where it is virtually a 25-minute walk to the entrance of the Hohle Fels cave. At that place is a small-scale exhibition at the entrance, and the actual cavern is actually quite big and impressive - to me, a real cavern compared to Vogelherd, which just seemed to exist an opening in the rock. You can walk all the way to the far upper end, it's but a bit slippery inside. Because I had no time for the museum on this or the following day (it is closed on Mondays), I thought that I had learned more almost caves than about the actual cave art, but it was still an enjoyable twenty-four hours. Ulm is by the manner a very pretty town that is worth a stay, particularly for the Minster, which has the highest spire in the world and is the largest Protestant church in Germany.
Clyde
Malta - 09-Aug-17 -
I visited this WHS in August 2017. I visited on a long Sunday route trip from Grand duchy of luxembourg so as to be able to visit the Hohle Fels cave.
Hubert'southward review was the main source of useful full-bodied info on the half dozen caves that make up this WHS also as on the nearby museums where most of the finds can exist seen. In my review I'll attempt to give farther information and tips for whatsoever future visitors. In the forum, he also gave me a very skillful link with a useful map.
At the signal where the Swabian Alb (plateau) inclines towards the Alpine foreland, it is believed that an enormous spring occurred in the cultural development of humanity - the showtime figurine representations of animals and humans are believed to have been created here as well as the first musical instruments. This is why these 6 caves accept been inscribed as a WHS as the oldest Ice Age fine art (Aurignacian-Gravettian-Magdalenian periods) was establish hither. In a mode, through this newly inscribed serial, Germany tries to make upwards for the lack of prehistoric rock art and paintings when compared to other European countries.
The original Ice Age fine art can be viewed in v museums: one in Stuttgart, another in Tubingen and iii quite close to the caves themselves - the Archaeopark Vogelherd in Niederstotzingen (open up 10:00-18:00; seven euro which also gives you admission to the Vogelherd Cave); houses a small mammoth and a lion figurine from Vogelherd, the Ulmer Museum in Ulm (open up xi:00-17:00; 8 euro; 'strictly' no photos allowed; houses the Lion Homo from the Hohlenstein Stadel Cave, and the Museum of Prehistory in Blaubeuren (open x:00-17:00; five euro + ane euro for photography; houses several remains from the Lone valley caves).
Since all the museums open rather late at 10am, I started with the Hohlenstein Stadel Cave in the Lone Valley. To become in that location by car, I put Lindenauerweg, Rammingen (89192) in my navigator and followed the signs to the tiny hamlet of Lindenau, where at that place is a small free parking lot with information boards and an unmanned information betoken with an interesting video on the Ice Historic period Caves of the Lone Valley and the Lion Homo (opposite eatery Lindenau). Virtually of the hamlets have banners proudly displaying the recent inscription on the WH list but there are no plaques yet. From the parking lot caput out of the hamlet for a rather flat 1km walk and keep to the left following the signs 'Zum Baerenhohle'. The Hohlestein Cave is actually made up of 3 caves: the Baerenhohle (earliest digging of bones of a 10,000 yr old bear), the Stadel Cavern (where the Lion Homo was found) and the Kleine Scheuer located between the two. All caves are now open up and freely attainable except the innermost role of the Stadel cave (where more than fragments of the Lion Man were found recently).
Instead of walking dorsum to the car, since it was notwithstanding early on to visit the Vogelherd cave, I decided to follow the flat 2km walking trail to the Bockstein cave. The final part tin can exist tricky as the cave is completely hidden backside the trees. Just go on on walking on the grass and eventually you'll see a small 'Bockenstein' sign (the last bit is a steep uphill walk). Hither mesolithic burials and Neanderthal tools and bone jewellery were institute. The cave is freely attainable but its ceiling is heavily eroded then nothing pretty much to run across. If you want to skip one of the caves in the Alone Valley this is the to the lowest degree interesting. The trail dorsum to Lindenau from here is marked as Neandertal weg and is quite muddy.
At effectually 10am I drove to the Archaeopark Vogelherd, paid for 2hrs parking and went directly to the Vogelherd Cave with two entrances, before the first visitors and families. Stone tools were discovered in the throw-off of a annoy's burrow and 9 small figures carved out of mammoth ivory are the virtually important discoveries and are part of the oldest figural fine art of humanity. The sediments from this cavern were excavated recently and about 400 ornaments and figure fragments from bird bones and mammoth ivory were found. The small mammoth in the company centre is worth viewing fifty-fifty though the 8 euro entrance fee is value for money mostly for families with children as in that location are several activities organised for them.
Next I went to the Ulmer Museum (some 30km abroad) to run into the Lion Man gallery. I parked at the cheap and safe underground Parkhaus Kornhaus in Rosengassen. The Panthera leo Man was recently restored in 2013 and it's a giant puzzle consisting of roughly 300 pieces of mammoth ivory. Information technology is the largest and nearly mysterious piece of art from the beginning of the Upper Paleolithic from effectually xl,000 years ago. I even so managed to accept a photo of it with the Chauvet Cave Rock Art in the background. Nobody informs you lot that photography is not allowed until you become to the Lion Man gallery which is quite unfair. The Museum in Blaubeuren's approach to photography makes much more than sense and the price is also cheaper so if you're pressed for time and money, the museum in Blaubeuren is your best bet.
In the Museum of Prehistory in Blaubeuren (2 hours gratis parking), y'all have to exit your bags in free lockers, and there is a very well presented and informative loop to run into the finds from the Ach valley caves (highlights are the 3 flutes, the adorant, the painted stones, the water bird and the tiny Venus of Hohle Fels). The staff here is very friendly and there's also an data desk to aid yous if yous still take trouble locating any of the caves.
In the afternoon, I drove direct to the Hohle Fels cave (usually open on Sundays fourteen:00-17:00 but in August open Thursday-Sun 14:00-17:00 and Wed x:00-17:00; 3 euro). This is the largest of the inscribed caves and the University of Tubingen however carries out excavations here in the Summer. The sediments from different periods take been collected in different white sacks, marked and are still being analysed. Some 80,000 stone tools and 300 ornaments were constitute hither and so far.
On the other side of the valley (and of the 492 road), farther on is a small wooden hut and space for maybe six cars. From here, a brusk merely steep uphill climb will pb you to the Sirgenstein cave. This cave is freely accessible merely be conscientious while getting there equally there are no railings. This is the least marked cave and the most popular for abseiling. I was surprised that a group of locals was climbing upward the rockface just next to the cave'south entrance. Many of the abseilers are apparently birdwatchers. A nearby information lath points out that several birds of prey and owls nest here.
Last merely not least, I collection dorsum a few metres towards Bruckfelsstrasse, through a level crossing, where an information board and commemorative plaque marks the uphill trail towards the Geissenklosterle cave. Be on the lookout for a large rockface among the tall copse and a small cave entrance closed with an iron gate. Excavations are still underway hither with equipment and archaeological markings still visible. Apparently, the museum in Blaubeuren is organising an information visit on Lord's day 10th September 2017 to this cave (open 10:00-eighteen:00) to see the archaeologists at piece of work. There isn't much to see hither anyway and if you were pressed for time, I'd recommend skipping this one from the Ach valley inscribed caves.
All in all, I enjoyed my long solar day of cave-hunting and I'm very happy that Federal republic of germany is consummate once more.
Hubert
Austria - 22-Apr-15 -
The paleontologists in Germany suffer a bit from the fact, that there are no sites of prehistoric rock art, not even simple scratches of arrows or circles, not to mention such beautiful cave paintings like in Chauvet and Altamira. But information technology is a kind of compensation that some of the earliest examples of figurative artworks were establish in caves of the Swabian Alb. The objects are attributed to the Aurignacian and are nearly forty,000 years old. The figurines are made of mammoth ivory and are only a few centimetres tall, not larger than a matchbook. In total, about 50 figurines were found, mostly merely fragments, less than half of them have been preserved in a way that they tin can be clearly identified. Well-nigh figures represent animals that lived during the terminal Ice Historic period in the Swabian Alb, similar mammoth, wild horse or lion, but too bird and fish. Other remarkable items are small flutes made of ivory and bird basic, these are the oldest known musical instruments, also most 42,000 years erstwhile.
2 finds stand out: the Venus of Hohle Fels (excavated in 2008, photograph left), which is considered the oldest sculpture of a human trunk, and the Lion Man, a hybrid creature of a man body with the head and limbs of a king of beasts, with 31 centimetres it is past far the largest of the found objects. Amazingly, it was reassembled of more than 300 fragments.
The figurines are truly astonishing and it'due south impressive how sometime they are. However, the excavated finds are movable and are shown in museums, they cannot exist part of the nomination. The caves themselves are non outstanding, most of them are rather small or but a rock shelter. In fact, there is not much to come across. But this issue is similar to some fossil hominid sites, where it is likewise more important what was plant in that location, than what tin can be seen there. So why not as well inscribing the caves of Ice Historic period art?
The proposed site consists of six caves, three in the Ach Valley and three in the Lone Valley, the distance between the two clusters is about forty kilometres. The valleys are in low mountain range, about 500 metres above sea level. The caves are easily attainable, all close to a master road. To grasp the importance of the caves, it is useful to see besides some of the figurines. Unfortunately, at that place is no key museum or company eye showing all of the excavated objects, they are spread over 5 different locations.
Some information on the private caves and museums:
Lone Valley
Iii caves within a distance of four kilometres, about 30 kilometres northeast of Ulm
Vogelherd cave: a small U-shaped cavern with 2 entrances and a length of twoscore metres, well-nigh of the animal figures were found at that place. The cave is simply accessible via the Archaeopark Vogelherd (8 Euro archway fee, www.archaeopark-vogelherd.de), the visitor centre shows 2 finds, a mammoth and a cave lion. The company centre nicely fits in the mural, the Archaeopark presents several aspects of the life in the Ice Age, but these attractions are more interesting for children.
Hohlenstein-Stadel cave: a 50 metre long, narrow cavern; identify where the Panthera leo Human was found; the entrance is closed with a lattice gate to protect the bats; one kilometre walk from the hamlet Lindenau.
Bockstein cave: a pocket-size cave, only nigh twenty metres, freely accessible; the oldest proven settlement in the area, no art objects were found, only tools, ornaments and other artefacts, the oldest finds are about lxx,000 years; the car park is between the towns of Bissingen and Öllingen, a brusk walk to the edge of the forest, then a steep climb, the cave is about 20 metres above the bottom of the valley.
Ach Valley:
Three caves within a altitude of five kilometres along the federal highway (Bundesstraße) 492 between Blaubeuren and Schelklingen, most 20 kilometres west of Ulm
Geißenklösterle: a semicircular stone face up, the earthworks site is a small abri; plant objects: beast figures and flutes of mammoth ivory and bird bones; the abri is closed with a lattice fence, but it has fiddling depth, and then the site is visible through the debate; car park at the city limit of Blaubeuren (suburb named Weiler) right at the Ach river, ten infinitesimal walk to the cave (some steep sections)
Sirgenstein cave: a small cavern, 40 metres in depth, freely attainable; rock tools and other artefacts were institute; the cave is probably included considering a consummate stratigraphic sequence of the Middle and Upper Paleolithic was establish; a parking bay at the principal road, a short walk up to the cave
Hohle Fels: the largest of the six caves, a large hall with an area of about 500 square metres; animal figures and the Venus of Hohle Fels were found; just outside the town of Schelklingen, sign-posted from the main road; the cave is open on Sunday afternoon from May to October
Urgeschichtliches Museum in Blaubeuren: the best choice to encounter some of the constitute objects, the main function of the museum is defended to the Paleolithic flow, originals of the Venus of the Hohe Fels, a horse's head, a h2o bird, and three flutes are shown.
Other museums:
The Ulm City Museum shows only 1 of the figurines, but it's the nearly fascinating: the Lion Man (www.loewenmensch.de). Other excavated finds are in the Museum of the Tübingen University (where nigh of the fauna figures are shown) and the Landesmuseum Württemberg in Stuttgart (a few figurines, ornaments and artefacts, mainly from the Geißenklösterle).
The Caves of Water ice Historic period fine art are scheduled the commencement nomination of the new T-listing sites and I think with good chances for inscription, their significance is undeniable. However, nosotros have to wait how ICOMOS and the WHC deal with the consequence that a major feature of the site are the movable items. The applicants seem to be aware of this problem, as they emphasize in the justification of outstanding universal value that caves, finds and surrounding landscape represent a cultural ensemble.
Nan
Germany -
The Caves and Ice Historic period Art are yet some other prehistoric site with all the caveats that continue with information technology. There isn't all that much to see. The findings were moved off site and are shown in several museums. Equally upside, I really enjoyed hiking along the Solitary valley on a sunny summertime day. And every bit the caves aren't that touristy y'all are free to explore them.
Getting There
Blaubeuren and Schelklingen are on the same train line from Ulm. The caves are found betwixt Schelklingen and Blaubeuren. Seeing the Urgeschichtliches Museum is in Blaubeuren, it seems best to outset at the far cease in Schelklingen and end up at the museum at the end.
Getting to the Alone area is a bit trickier. The Archäopark Vogelherd has a shuttle bus to the train station in Niederstotzigen. Bihourly at that place is a straight autobus (#59) from Ulm stopping in Öllingen (go off at Hirsch) for the Bocksteinhöhle and Stetten ob Lontal (get off at Kirche) for the Archäopark. My recommendation would exist to starting time in Öllingen. From the omnibus stop it'due south a 30min walk to go to the Lone river. Be advised that the signposting in the area leaves much to be desired and that especially the surface area effectually the Bocksteinhöhle is a scrap challenging.
Google Maps is wrong for the expanse. The location of the Bocksteinhöhle is wrong. And the buses are missing from the public transport connections. Our data meanwhile is correct. The best public ship information is bachelor from Deutsche Bahn. This holds true for all of Germany (and another countries, too).
While You Are There
Ulm is a pleasant city in the mold of Strasbourg. The most famous site is the Münster, the largest church tower and for a short period the largest building in the world. The urban center also offers great views of the Danube. If you are into Pile Dwellings, in that location seems to be i pretty close to Ulm.
One of Germany'due south top attractions, Neuschwanenstein, tin can exist reached from Ulm via train to Füssen. From at that place buses will have you to the pseudo castle. Only follow the crowds. Some of the buses volition continue to the pilgrimage church in Wies.
Stuttgart is an hr past railroad train and at that place y'all can see 1 of Le Corbusier's lesser works. Aalen to the N is on the Limes and the museum seems rather interesting. Via Friedrichshafen you can travel to St Gallen every bit a 24-hour interval trip. Finally, the Augsburg h2o works are on the tentative list.
Source: https://www.worldheritagesite.org/list/Caves+and+Ice+Age+Art
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