World Heritage Identification Number: 1527
World Heritage since: 2017
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇩🇪 Germany
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Unraveling the Mysteries of the Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura
The Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura, located in southern Germany, offer a unique glimpse into the lives of our early human ancestors who inhabited Europe during the Last Glacial Period, approximately 43,000 to 33,000 years ago. This remarkable collection of six caves has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its exceptional significance in understanding the origins of human artistic development.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Modern humans first arrived in Europe 43,000 years ago during the last ice age. One of the areas where they took up residence was the Swabian Jura in southern Germany. Excavated from the 1860s, six caves have revealed items dating from 43,000 to 33,000 years ago. Among them are carved figurines of animals (including cave lions, mammoths, horses and bovids), musical instruments and items of personal adornment. Other figurines depict creatures that are half animal, half human and there is one statuette of a woman. These archaeological sites feature some of the oldest figurative art worldwide and help shed light on the origins of human artistic development.
Encyclopedia Record: Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura
The Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura are a collection of six caves in southern Germany which were used by Ice Age humans for shelter about 33,000 to 43,000 years ago. Within the caves were found the oldest non-stationary works of human art yet discovered, in the form of carved animal and humanoid figurines, in addition to the oldest musical instruments ever found. One statuette of a female form, carved figurines of animals, musical instruments and items of personal adornment have been discovered. Some of the figurines depict creatures that are half animal, half human. Because of their testimony to the development of Paleolithic art and culture, the six caves were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2017.Additional Site Details
Area: 462.1 hectares
Coordinates: 48.3877777778 , 9.7655555556
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© Landesamt für Denkmalpflege (LAD) im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart. Used with permission.
