A Culture Leap
The cultural roots of Europe’s Upper Paleolithic lay in the valleys of the rivers Ach, Blau and Lone. The caves at the southern border of the Swabian Alb belong to the most important Paleolithic sites worldwide. Neanderthals and Early Modern Man lived here during the last Ice Age.
In July 2017, six of these caves have been inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List.
40.000 years ago, Early Modern Man not only developed new tool technics here, but also created animal- and human figurines made of mammoth ivory, which belong to mankind’s eldest known works of art.
Besides the Ice Age Art, finds of music instruments and a great amount of Ice Age ornaments prove of the new self-awareness of Modern Man.
TREASURE CHAMBERS OF THE ICE AGE
The Museum of Prehistory in Blaubeuren – named “urmu” – is the central museum for the paleolithic finds of this region. We show you, how Neanderthals and early Modern Man lived during the last Ice Age and what happened, when both met over 40.000 years ago.
The worldwide unique Ice Age Art is thematically introduced in Treasure Chambers, which open an entirely new approach to mystic Ice Age Art.
SOUND SPACE - THE FLUTES FROM GEISSENKLÖSTERLE AND HOHLE FELS
The earliest evidence of musical instruments is about 40,000 years old. They are flutes made of bird bone and mammoth ivory. They were excavated in the caves of the Ach and Lone valley on the southern rim of the Swabian Alb. With these musical instruments, man created self-designed sound spaces for the first time. These are in contrast to the surrounding sounds of nature, which cannot be controlled by humans. Flutes provide expressions that go far beyond the possibilities of singing.