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Bockstein Cave

Caves of GermanyLimestone cavesNeanderthal sitesPrehistoric sites in Germany
Bocksteinhoehle 2016 05 08
Bocksteinhoehle 2016 05 08

The Bockstein Cave, German: Bocksteinhöhle is part of the Bockstein complex – a White Jurassic limestone rock massif. The 15 by 20 m (49 by 66 ft) rock shelter, among small peripheral caves is situated around 12 m (39 ft) above the Lone River valley bottom, north of the towns of Rammingen and Öllingen, Heidenheim district in the central Swabian Jura, southern Germany. Several small openings, that are the actual entrances to the site, lead to various cave sections. The large frontal opening is of modern origin, created during the first excavation works in the late 19th century.Among Mesolithic and Neolithic stone tools and artefacts numerous bone fossils, that date back 50,000 to 70,000 years were found, making the location the oldest known settlement complex of Neanderthals in southern Germany. Moreover, the ca. 8,000 year old and relatively well preserved skeletons of a woman and an infant were discovered. Because of its historical and cultural significance and its testimony to the development of Paleolithic culture, the cave was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura site in 2017.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bockstein Cave (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Bockstein Cave
K 3021, GVV Sontheim-Niederstotzingen

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Wikipedia: Bockstein CaveContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 48.579722222222 ° E 10.2125 °
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K 3021
89168 GVV Sontheim-Niederstotzingen
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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Bocksteinhoehle 2016 05 08
Bocksteinhoehle 2016 05 08
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Charlotte Cave
Charlotte Cave

Charlotte Cave is a dripstone cave near Hürben, a district of Giengen, in the Swabian Jura in Baden-Württemberg. The cave is 587 meters long with side passages, lies 487.5 meters above sea level and is probably two and a half to three million years old. The Hundsloch, the entrance to the cave, was already recorded in a forest map in 1591. The population threw cadavers of domestic animals into this hole. The first excavation was made by head forester Hermann Emil Sihler in the spring of 1893 with a rope ladder. During further explorations and excavations, the cave was uncovered, opened to the public and equipped with electric lighting. The ceremonial opening took place on 17 September 1893. On 23 September Queen Charlotte of Schaumburg-Lippe visited the show cave named after her. This is used for tourism as a show cave over a length of 532 meters and is one of the information points of the UNESCO Swabian Jura Geopark, about 100 kilometers east of Stuttgart. The relatively narrow cave passage, formed by flowing water, runs through the mountain like a tube and is interrupted by more than ten spacious, often quite high halls. The cave contains rich sintering with various dripstone forms. With its stalactite inventory, Charlotte Cave is considered one of the most beautiful show caves in Germany. In July 2005, the information center HöhlenHaus was built at the foot of Charlotte Cave. The HöhlenErlebnisWelt was built around the HöhlenHaus and a time travel trail was created at the entrance to Charlotte Cave. In July 2008, the HöhlenSchauLand, a multimedia museum, was opened in the immediate vicinity of the HöhlenHaus. In recent years, the number of visitors has been maintained at 40,000 per year, bucking the trend of most other German show caves.