Wildenmannlisloch

The Wildenmannlisloch ( in dialect also Wildmannlisloch ) is an alpine karst cave in Toggenburg (Canton St. Gallen) in Switzerland.

The cave is situated at an altitude of 1640 meters in the Seewerkalk on the northern slope of the Seluns ( one of the seven Churfirsten ), on the territory of the former municipality of Alt St. Johann (now municipality wild house - Alt St. Johann ). It has a measured length of 142 meters and a height difference of 2.4 m. After about 60 meters, more than man-high cave expands to a chamber. The first few meters of the cave are dry feet walked on, but the further you advance, the more water is in progress. At the far end is the water level around 20 centimeters.

Entrance area

Water level inside

Inside

History

The oldest mention of the cave can be found in the description of the Toggenburg mountains of the pastor Johann Heinrich Scherrer in Alt St. Johann. It states: ... under this Selunerruck a hole is found, through which one entereth half quarter of an hour into the mountain. The name " Wildenmannlisloch " appears for the first time in 1819 in the book " Zwingli's birthplace " of Rev. J. Fr Franz: is located at the foot of the Selunerrückens a large cave, called the Wildenmannlisloch that is initially very far and high, so that one could go into with horses and chariots, then verenget again and again and extended in such alternations and different curvatures hinziehet a quarter of an hour until you reach its end.

On July 15, 1906 Dr. Emil Baechler undertook the first investigation of the cave. A trial excavation brought teeth and bone fragments from cave bears to days. A more detailed exploration of the cave it was carried out in 1923 On October 1st, Emil Baechler taught together with Alfred Ziegler from underwater and some helpers in the cave and began a work that - in the autumn - was to last until 1927.; a total of 218 days.

The researchers found a vast amount of bone fragments; almost all originate from the cave bear. The most common findings are from deeper layers. At the main finding place, the cave chamber II, remains were found of about 50 one-to eight -year-old cave bear. The bones lay scattered, like a pile of garbage. Skull was found quite at the far end, at the end of the cave. It appears to be a deliberate retention by humans to act. A sacrificial cult? Of the following animals were found bones: cave bear, fragments of a cave lion, chamois, marmots, mountain hare, wolf, fox, ermine and red deer. Bones of mammoths were not found.

Profile

On October 26, Emil Baechler found a greenish gray, processed oil quartzite. These stones do not occur in Selunergebiet; So they must have been carried up. Experiments showed that simple strokes on the raw quartzite showed sharp stone knife. Further, also found bone tools and fragments of bones of cave bears, all with signs of use.

Human bones were, as also in the other caves in eastern Switzerland, not found. The Wildenmannlisloch was around 40,000 years ago, therefore, a cave dwelling and no burial ground. The inhabitants were hunters and apparently lived to a great extent from the flesh of the cave bear, they could kill in traps and hunt. In the cave, the meat kept at a temperature of around 5 degrees quite well. In the entrance there were the remains of hearths.

Probably also spent the Seluner a time of his life in Wildenmannlisloch.

Accessibility

Easiest way to reach from the Wildenmannlisloch with the Selunbahn ( " crate train ") from Starkenbach and after a walk of about ten minutes. About the Alp Sellamatt a footpath leads to the cave.