On the weekend, I went hiking with a friend to a place near me called Blaubeuren, in the Swabian Jura. I'm kind of kicking myself - if I'd only paid more attention, I would have realised I was taking a trip right back to the very origins of what we define as human! /1 
Funnily enough, some of the oldest places found to be inhabited by humans were only protected as a World Heritage site by @UNESCO in 2017. It's one of the world's youngest to be classified so! /2 whc.unesco.org/en/list/1527/
Before we talk about the amazing treasures found here, we need to talk about the land itself. The Swabian Jura is a great big mountain range, running 220km across the state of Baden-Württemberg.
Once the seafloor, the mountains are made of limestone. /3
Once the seafloor, the mountains are made of limestone. /3
Limestone, essentially, is formed from the compacted layers of dead marine life and plants, brought together and settled over millions of years. This is why throughout the Swabian Jura, you can go hunting for fossils and very easy find yourself an ammonite, like this. /4
The thing about limestone is, it's easily worn away by flowing water, and over time caves form. The Swabian Jura is riddled with deep caves that are perfect for pitching camp out of the cold and rain. /5
Around 40,000 years ago, the ancestors of many of us found these caves to be the perfect location to not only camp, but stay for prolonged periods, playing, making music and worshipping. For the first time, we begin to see something beyond existing... /6
Generations of locals have been fascinated by the caves, but it wasn't until 1931 that the first astonishing discovery was made - the figures of a horse, a lion and a mammoth were found by archaeologists, dating from a period of between 35,000 and 40,000 years ago. /7
These figures were found at the Vogelherd Cave. They would have taken a considerable amount of time to carve and were probably used for ritualistic purposes, over generations.
Today, it is the site of a fantastic museum and interpretive centre. /8 archaeopark-vogelherd.de
Today, it is the site of a fantastic museum and interpretive centre. /8 archaeopark-vogelherd.de
In 1935, a next fantastic discovery was made - a figure, made from mammoth tusk, depicting a anthropomorphic lion - the 'Löwenmensch'. Again, he's b/w 35,000 - 40,000 years old, and found in the Hohlenstein-Stadel cave. Some describe him as the first undisputable 'art'. /9
However, I believe that the crowning glory of the finds found in the region are those made at the Hohle Fels cave. First up, we have the 'Venus of Hohle Fels', an exaggerated female form, with large breasts, buttocks and labia. Again - mammoth tusk. /10
While it can't be said definitively what it was used for, archaeologists can say that it was held in regard, carried and venerated for some time and that it probably had something to do with fertility. /11
The other amazing thing found in the Hohle Gels cave is a flute made from bone, found earlier this century. Made from a bird bone, it's about 35,000 years old. It is the oldest musical instrument ever discovered. Here's a great video about it. /12
There's lots more I could say about the finds made throughout the Swabian Jura, but I think I'll just leave it this - they're an amazing look at a world in transition, when belief, art and imagination were just starting to take hold. /13
If you'd like to know more, come over when you can. I'll show you around. Also, I highly recommend URMU - the Prehistory Museum located in the heart of Blaubeuren. /14 urmu.de/willkommen
Thanks for reading! /FIN
Oh yeah, she's around 35,000 years old too. Give or take a century.
