Hohlenstein-Stadel
The Hohlenstein ( historically also hollow stone ) is located a limestone massif on the right edge of the valley of the Lonetals, approximately 2.5 kilometers northwest of Asselfingen, approximately in the middle between Bockstein cave and Vogelherdhöhle cave. As Hohlenstein the entire rock called, including therein karst caves bear cave, barn and small barn. The coupled together Hohlenstein is delivered already from the 19th century and today the official topographic name.
Caves in Hohlenstein
In Hohlenstein there are two large caves, the cave bear and the barn, also a smaller alcove in between, the little barn.
The relatively narrow in width caves have the following longitudinal dimensions:
- Bear Cave (about 89 m long), named because of the many bear bones that were found in the cave.
- Small Scheuer ( 10 m wide hole in the rocks ), no archaeological settlement
Starting in 1860 led Oscar Fraas from the Natural History Museum Stuttgart paleontological excavations in the bear cave by, and later in the other two caves. This excavation also founded the scientific study of the Palaeolithic in Germany, although predominantly naturally fallen cave bear were found in the bear cave. Many finds, especially bones, stone artefacts and scrap refer to an intensive settlement history since the time of Mittelpaläolithikums. During archaeological excavations in the barn in 1939 splinter from a tusk found by the woolly mammoth. These were only 30 years later composed during the academic study of the finds to the sculpture of the lion-man, one of the most famous works of art from the Paleolithic Aurignacian culture. The original is now on display in the Ulmer Museum.
The caves are open all year locked for reasons of nature protection ( bats).
Bear Cave
The Bear Cave (not to be confused with the bear cave in the district of Reutlingen) is the westernmost cave in Hohlenstein. It is only 2 m above the valley floor, and their north-facing triangular input is 6 m wide and 4 m high. The horizontal cave reaches a length of 60 m. Inside, it consists of a 30 m long corridor with various bulges and a large hall at the end of the corridor.
- Ia - Magdalenian
- II - Aurignacian
- III - Middle Palaeolithic
As the strata were most powerfully at the input, here's a profile has been created.
The animal remains that were found in the cave, come to 98% of cave bears. The numerous skull and mandible indicate that it has acted in several hundred individuals. In addition, wild horses could, woolly mammoth, bison, elk, red deer and reindeer are detected in the bear cave.
Stadel
The Stadel - often done in the literature as Hohlenstein - Stadel - located east of the bear cave and runs with the long narrow cave space parallel to it. He's like the bear cave, a 50 m long horizontal cave, but without major halls. The walls are formed only by niches and strictures. The entrance itself is quite large with a width of 8 m and a height of 4 m. The barn has 5 m above the valley floor a higher level than the bear cave.
- III - Magdalenian
- IV - Aurignacian ( with the discovery of the lion people )
- V - Middle Palaeolithic
- VI - Middle Palaeolithic
- VII - Middle Palaeolithic
This profile was taken from the middle of the cave. While it is simplistic, but from the numerous profiles recorded most fully.
The animal remains found the Magdalenian layer III gave the following picture: cave bear, hyena, fox, wolf, mammoth, wild horse, reindeer, wild cattle, birds and rodents. In the Aurignacian layer IV include: cave bear, hyena, fox, wolf, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, wild horse, reindeer, birds and rodents.
In the mittelpaläolithischen layers of the femur of a Neanderthal man was found. The species of mittelpaläolithischen layers are as follows: mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, cave bear, hyena, wild horse, wild ox, reindeer, deer, giant deer.
Small abrasive
The Small Scheuer is a Abri between Bear Cave and Stadel. The alcove has a width of 10 m and a depth of 8 m. Among the most famous finds include a pebble with red dot rows, which is typical of the small art of younger Magdalenian.
In the little scrub especially numerous rodents were found. The remains of wild horse, reindeer, arctic fox, fox and mountain hare show which animals were preferentially hunted by humans.