Rhume Spring
The Rhumequelle is a large karst spring in the eastern part of the ridge Rotenberg in Lower Saxony, near the northeastern Ortsrands of Rhumspringe (Landkreis Göttingen). Your springs from the river Rhume. The source is located exactly on the border between the districts Göttingen and Osterode am Harz. The Rhumequelle was recorded in 2006 as a part of the Zechstein landscape on the southern Harz in the list of 77 excellent national geological sites.
Description
The source is from a nearby street with a parking lot easily accessible. It is equipped with a mean spring discharge of 2000 liters per second, according to Aachtopf and blue pot, the third largest source of Germany. Theoretically, every inhabitant could get in Germany daily for two liters of water from the Rhumequelle. The Rhumequelle is thus one of the richest karst springs in Central Europe, with almost constant in winter and summer water levels. The water temperature is constant all year 8-9 ° C, hence the source lake freezes in winter never.
The water enters from a funnel- shaped main source pot with about 500 m² as well as from numerous secondary sources indicate. In about 7 to 8 m deep Quelltopf the water shimmers green - blue to turquoise. The water flows into a at the source 5 m wide river. An indicator of good water quality are living in the Rhume near the source trout. The headwaters is located in a floodplain forest with moisture- loving trees. 1999, the source area was redeveloped by the provision of paths and a viewing platform. The spring water is used for drinking water supply since 1978. The Eichsfelder energy and water supply company ( EEW) takes about 1 % of the water supplied after treatment so that around 15,000 inhabitants.
The Rhumequelle is located on Karstwanderweg and the Solling -resin cross path ends here.
Water origin
The spring water comes only about 4% of above-ground catchment. The rest comes from underground tributaries of Südharzer gypsum karst area that extends between the source and the resin. In this rocky ground seeps underground cavities a part of the water-rich resin rivers Oder and Sieber. The Rhumequelle is an " overflow valve " this huge underground water reservoir in karst rock.
The tremendous water flow of the spring awoke early on the assumption that the spring water must come from the Harz mountains. In 1913 took place tracer tests to investigate the flow paths of the water. Here, the rivers Oder and Sieber were added dyes in about 6-9 km away areas. About 30 hours later, these dyes reappeared in the Rhumequelle. This was the proof that the water from these two rivers flows underground for Rhumequelle.
Source victims
Based on archaeological findings, the Rhumequelle has been recognized as prehistoric sacrificial site in 1999. Until March 1999 archaeological investigations were carried out, coupled with the Ausschürfung of around 10 m3 of sediment from the center of the pond. When screening is found early Neolithic pottery, some with linienbandkeramischer ornament, three flat heels and a small high shoe last wedge of rock, several deductions and blades of flint and chert, a well- Late Neolithic, polished ax blade of northern flint and a fragment of a bronze Nauheim brooches from the later Roman iron Age. The Fund position makes it probable that it is intentionell emptied victims. An interpretation as residential or loss finds seems to be impossible. In the northern central Europe thus a source sacrificial cult from the early Neolithic Linear Pottery is first detectable, whose settlements extend into the Lössflächen the sub Eichsfeld and the southwestern Harz mountains.