Salzofen cave

The Salzofen cave in the Dead Mountains in Grundlsee in Styria is the highest alpine cave with Palaeolithic finds in Austria. The entrance to the cave is located on the southwestern slope of the salt furnace ( 2070 m ), about 65 m below the summit. In 2008, the total surveyed length of the cave was 3588 meters.

The part of the name " oven " is due to an old name for striking rocks.

History

1924 two hunters discovered the first fossils in the salt furnace cavity. As a result, it was explored by school board Otto Koerber from Bad Aussee until 1944. 1939, 1948-1953 and 1956-1964 excavations were carried out under Kurt Ehrenberg. In addition to the discovery of numerous animal bones, especially of the cave bear and cave lion, the detection of human settlement activity was achieved in the salt furnace cavity. She served as a hunting station Paleolithic humans. There were stone tools, conspicuously arranged bear skull and charcoal samples excavated. The age of the charcoal samples was determined by radiocarbon dating to 34,000 (± 3,000 ) years. The C14 dating of the pollen flora and a variety of bone from the culture layer of the salt furnace cavity revealed an age of 31,200 (± 1,100 ) to> 49,000 years. An often referred to as a bone flute, einlöchriges bone fragment from the salt furnace cavity is to be considered according to the current state of research as a natural product ( bones with bite mark ).

A part of the bone finds from the salt kiln cave is on display at Kammerhofmuseum in Bad Aussee.

1972, a copy of the blind cave beetle ( Arctaphaenops nihilumalbi ) was found in the cave for the first time.