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Vogelherd Cave, Vogelherdhöhlen
Listed as the Southern entrance, the left cave entrance is the big Vogelherd Cave. The right cave is just a small shelter, cut off from the main passage by a roof collapse many years ago.
Photo: Jochen Duckeck
Text: http://www.showcaves.com/images/Big/D054-038.jpg
Text below from: Delporte (1993)
This huge cave is located in Stetten ob Lonetal (Lone Valley, Württemberg). It was excavated in 1931 by Gustav Riek, who detailed an impressive stratigraphy, generally separated from each other by sterile archaeological layers. He attributed the levels to the Upper Acheulean (layer 8), Mousterian layer 7), the middle and upper Aurignacian (layers 6 and 4), the Magdalenian (layers 3 and 2), and the Neolithic.
The material collected during the excavation is kept at the Institute of Prehistory at the University of Tübingen. Riek published his findings, which are supplemented by a recent analysis by D. de Sonneville-Bordes, used to specify the nature of three Aurignacian layers (layers 6 to 4).
6. This lower layer is poor in tools, and has a few rough Mousterian looking blades and points. Riek placed this layer in the early Aurignacian (Aurignacian-Früh).
5. the middle layer belongs to the typical Aurignacian, with points of bone with a split base, Aurignacian blades, rare keeled and muzzle scrapers and a significant number of burins, a majority of burins on truncation, a character which locates this in the Aurignacian of southwestern France.
4. the upper layer, although it had one or two Gravettian points and an atypical pointe à cran or shouldered point, and although the split base points are not found in this layer, nevertheless belongs to the typical Aurignacian, with a normal development of nosed scrapers, but with a significant decrease in the proportion of chisels.
Vogelherd anthropomorphic statuette - the Vogelherd Venus.
Length 69 mm, depth 10.5 mm, width 19 mm according to Müller-Beck et al. (1987).
However it was in this milieu that a number of quality works of art were collected, a large series of animal sculptures in ivory (mammoth, horse, bison, bears, reindeer, wolf, panther?), and in the upper layer 4, a human figure.
It has a height of 68 mm. It is ivory, carved in fact on one side only and is quite clumsily made, although the flattened head and trunk are relatively well treated, the back line, the camber of the small of the back and a draft gluteal projection are shown, the body has two rows of small cupules and a series of incisions whose meaning remains enigmatic.
A. Leroi-Gourhan class of animal figurines Vogelherd II in style, in principle, in the same period as that which marks, in France, the late-Aurignaco-Perigordian and Early Solutrean. Unfortunately we do not know the exact position of discovery of the statue in the stratigraphy of layer 4, that is to say in the most recent Aurignacian layer. It is not forbidden to think, under these conditions, it may have been associated with the Gravettian points, and it could be contemporaneous with female statuettes of the Western Upper Perigordian. The fact should be emphasised, however, that this model - which has some similarities with that of Trou-Magrite, Belgium - is not likely to be formally considered feminine.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Text: Delporte (1993)
Venus sculpture
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: Original, Museum der Universität Tübingen
Text below from: http://www.ice-age-art.de/anfaenge_der_kunst/vogelherd.php
Vogelherd cave is located on the edge of the Lone valley, about 1 km northwest of Stetten and northeast of the Alb-Donau county (Alb-Donau-Kreis). Vogelherd cave is a very scenic place and well worth a visit, as indeed is all of the Lone valley. There is a place for open-air grilling directly above the cave. The cave is not visible from the road and one must first walk over a ridge to gain access to the three entrances on the edge of the Lone valley.
The cave covers an area of 170 square meters. This extremely important site, rich in finds, was first discovered when Stone Age artefacts turned up from a badger’s burrow. The actual size of it only became apparent after the excavations by Gustav Riek in the summer of 1931. The finds range from the Middle Palaeolithic to modern times. The world-renowned ivory carvings originate from the Middle Aurignacian period.
35 000-Year-Old Mammoth Sculpture Found in Germany
In southwestern Germany, an American archaeologist and his German colleagues have found the oldest mammoth-ivory carving known to modern science. And even at 35 000 years old, it's still intact.
Archaeologists at the University of Tübingen have recovered the first entirely intact woolly mammoth figurine from the Swabian Jura, a plateau in the state of Baden-Württemberg, thought to have been made by the first modern humans some 35 000 years ago. It is believed to be the oldest ivory carving ever found. "You can be sure," Tübingen archaeologist Nicholas J. Conard told SPIEGEL ONLINE, "that there has been art in Swabia for over 35 000 years."
In total, five mammoth-ivory figurines from the Ice Age were newly discovered at the site of the Vogelherd Cave in southwestern Germany, a site known to contain primitive artefacts since it was excavated in 1931 by the Tübingen archaeologist Gustav Reik. Over 7 000 sacks of sediment later, archaeologists were again invigorated by the discoveries.
Among the new finds are well-preserved remains of a lion figurine, fragments of a mammoth figurine and two as-yet-unidentified representations. These, the University of Tübingen Web site explains, "count among the oldest and most impressive examples of figurative artworks from the Ice Age."
Conard said that "the excitement and thrill were immense." He and his colleagues Michael Lingnau and Maria Malina in the Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology reported their findings in the journal Archäologische Ausgrabungen in Baden-Württemberg.
The figure of the woolly mammoth is tiny, measuring just 3.7 cm long and weighing a mere 7.5 grams, and displays skilfully detailed carvings. It is unique in its slim form, pointed tail, powerful legs and dynamically arched trunk. It is decorated with six short incisions, and the soles of the pachyderm's feet show a crosshatch pattern. The miniature lion is 5.6 cm long, has a extended torso and outstretched neck. It is decorated with approximately 30 finely incised crosses on its spine.
The geological context of the discoveries and radiocarbon dating indicate that the figurines belong to the Aurignacian culture, which refers to an area of southern France and is associated with the arrival of the first modern humans in Europe. Multiple radiocarbon dates from sediment in the Vogelherd Cave yielded ages between 30 000 and 36 000 years ago, the University of Tübingen reports. Some methods give an even older date.
The preliminary results from the excavation will be presented in a special exhibit at the Museum of Prehistory in Blaubeuren from June 24, 2007 to January 13, 2008. In 2009, the figurines will be displayed in a major state exhibition in Stuttgart entitled "Cultures and Art of the Ice Age."
The figurines were found in 2007 in the spoil from the dig in 1931 by Riek, who completely dug out the site.
Modern practice is to take out a sample only, and leave much of the site for later investigators.
Photo: © Universität Tübingen
Source: http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-22586.html
This 37mm long, 7.5 gram figurine, made from mammoth ivory, is some 35 000 years old. It is one of the oldest pieces of art ever found.
(left) as found at the site, (right) cleaned up for public display.
Photo: © Universität Tübingen
Source and text: http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-22586.html
Another view of the mammoth.
The piece was found in 2007 in the spoil originally excavated from the Vogelherd Cave in 1931. A total of five figurines have been found there.
Photo: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.150023071682921.30804.149716745046887&type=1
Source: Probably © Universität Tübingen
Left, right, front, back, top and bottom views of the mammoth.
This mammoth is the first intact example found in the Vogelherd Cave. A number of other fragments have been dug up there.
Photo: © Universität Tübingen
Source and text: http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-22586.html
This image shows the front and rear views of the mammoth.
The figurine has split longitudinally at a zone of weakness in the mammoth ivory.
Photo: Rau et al. (2009)
The underneath of the mammoth.
Photo: Rau et al. (2009)
The mammoth is in very good condition, considering its age.
Photo: Rau et al. (2009)
Another version of the mammoth sculpture.
Photo: Original, http://www.landschaftsmuseum.de/Seiten/Lexikon/Kunst_Pal-2.htm
Bovid from Vogelherd.
Photo: Rau et al. (2009)
This miniature lion is 56 mm long, has an extended torso and an outstretched neck. It is decorated with approximately 30 finely incised crosses on its spine.
A number of other figurines have likewise been found at the site, says University of Tübingen archaeologist Nicholas J. Conard. They are, says the university Web site, 'among the oldest and most impressive examples of figurative artworks from the Ice Age.'
Photo: © Universität Tübingen
Source and text: http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-22586.html
View of the lion from above.
Photo: http://www.epochtimes.de/gallery/2007/11/12/195374-2.html
A mammoth ivory horse from the Aurignacian, about 31 000 BP. Length 50 mm.
(Note that this photo may be of a facsimile. The markings do not match well with those definitely of the original - Don )
Photo: Jochen Duckeck
Text: http://www.showcaves.com/images/Big/R008-001.jpg
Another view of the mammoth ivory horse from Vogelherd. It has been superbly finished, with loving care given to the polishing of the sculpture by a master artist.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Another view of the Vogelherd horse sculpture.
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: Original, Museum der Universität Tübingen
The other side of the horse is flat.
Photo: Adam et al. (1980)
Animal, Vogelherd.
Photo: Rau et al. (2009)
Mammoth sculpture
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: Original, Museum der Universität Tübingen
Mammoth sculpture, as above from a different perspective.
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: Original, Museum der Universität Tübingen
Mammoth sculpture, as above.
Length 50 mm, height 31 mm, breadth 22 mm.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Bear sculpture
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: Original?, Museum der Universität Tübingen
Bear sculpture, as above.
Müller-Beck et al. (1987) say that it has been identified as a lion, bear, or rhinoceros.
Length 58 mm, height 24 mm, breadth 14 mm.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Cave lion sculpture
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: Original?, Museum der Universität Tübingen
Cave Lion sculpture, as above. Note the missing section at the rear of the animal.
Length 68 mm, height 24 mm, breadth 14.5 mm.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Cave Lion head, superbly detailed. It would be very interesting to determine the significance of the crosses carved into many of the animal figurines from Vogelherd.
Length 25 mm, height 18 mm, breadth 6 mm. It is part of a formerly complete statuette.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Cave Lion by Heinrich Harder
Photo: Heinrich Harder, Public Domain
The Cave Lion was about 10% bigger than the African lion. The cave lion is known from Paleolithic cave paintings, ivory carvings, and clay figurines. These representations indicate that cave lions had rounded, protruding ears, tufted tails, possibly faint tiger-like stripes, and that at least some had a "ruff" or primitive mane around their neck, indicating males.
The cave lion received its common name because large quantities of its remains are found in caves, but it is doubtful whether they lived in them. They probably preferred conifer forests and grasslands, where medium-sized to large herbivores occurred. Fossil footprints of lions, which were found together with those of reindeer, demonstrate that lions once occurred even in subpolar climates. The presence of fully articulated adult cave lion skeletons, deep in cave bear dens, indicates that lions may have occasionally entered dens to prey on hibernating cave bears, with some dying in the attempt.
These active carnivores probably preyed upon the large herbivorous animals of their time, including horses, deer, reindeer, bison and even injured old or young mammoths. Some paintings of them in caves show several hunting together, which suggests the hunting strategy of contemporary lionesses.
Its extinction may have been related to the Quaternary extinction event, which wiped out most of the megafauna prey in those regions.Cave paintings and remains found in the refuse piles of ancient camp sites indicate that they were hunted by early humans, which also may have contributed to their demise.
Text above adapted from Wikipedia
The cave lion is known from Paleolithic cave paintings, ivory carvings, and clay figurines. These representations indicate that cave lions had rounded, protruding ears, tufted tails, possibly faint tiger-like stripes, and that at least some had a ruff or primitive mane around their neck, indicating males. The cave lion received its common name because large quantities of its remains are found in caves, but it is doubtful whether they lived in them. They probably preferred conifer forests and grasslands, where medium-sized to large herbivores occurred.
Animal sculpture, covered with abstract designs.
Length 63.5 mm, height 24.5 mm, breadth 17 mm.
The head may have been purposefully removed.
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: Original?, Museum der Universität Tübingen
Animal sculptures
Photo: Ralph Frenken
(All three of these sculptures appear to me to be museum quality facsimiles - Don )
Source: Museum der Universität Tübingen
This has been identified as a sculpture of a cave Lion.
However, this is a much heavier set animal than a cave lion, and seems to me (Don ) to be of a hippopotamus.
The head, neck and body are massive, more in keeping with a hippopotamus than a cave lion.
Length 88 mm, height 34 mm, breadth 11 mm.
From Pushkina (2007):
Two hippopotamus species are recognised in the pleistocene of Europe, Hippopotamus major (syn Hippopotamus antiquuus) and Hippopotamus amphibius. The two species probably overlapped in time. In south western Europe the hippopotamus was common. In Germany Hippopotamus amphibius is known from the Rhine valley. The distribution of both hippopotamuses was probably restricted to south of 55°N (that is, almost the whole of Germany - Don ) and west of 10°E in Western Europe. Eastern populations apparently inhabited Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova up to 30°E and the Northern Caucasus.
Photo: Ralph Frenken
Source: (looks like a facsimile - Don ), Museum der Universität Tübingen
Identified as a cave lion, to me this appears to be a hippopotamus. Müller-Beck et al. (1987) says that it has been seen by some as a hyena or a young rhinoceros, and Adam et al. (1980) say it could be a rhinoceros - my best bet is hippopotamus. We don't usually think of the hippopotamus when we think of ice age animals, but it was widespread in Europe at one time - Don
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Hippopotamus major / antiquus, once found in Europe.
Photo: H. Osborn, 'Men
of the Old Stone Age' (1916)
Another reconstruction of Hippopotamus major / antiquus.
Photo: http://web.unife.it/progetti/isernia-la-pineta/inglese/oggi/paleontologia/gli_animali_di_grandi_dimensioni.htm
Bas relief of a mammoth, carved from bone.
Length 69 mm, height 29 mm, breadth 36 mm.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
Bison.
Length 72 mm, height 52.5 mm, breadth 13.5 mm.
Photo: Müller-Beck et al. (1987)
A new find from Vogelherd. This may be a fish.
Note also the distinctive decoration of small cupules, something which is very often used in the Vogelherd figurines.
Photo: Rau et al. (2009)
Gustav Riek (left) and an unknown person standing in front of the southwest entrance to Vogelherd at beginning of excavation in 1931.
Note tags in profile marking archaeological strata.
Photo and text: Conard et al. (2003)
View of Vogelherd from the west. Visible are the Southwest entrance and on the right side of
photograph, the south entrance.
Photo after Riek (1934)
Text: Conard et al. (2003)
This is listed as the Western entrance of Vogelherd Cave on Wikipedia.
Photo: The Knife, 27th September 2011
Permission: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons license Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Gustav Riek in front of the southwest entrance to Vogelherd during excavation in 1931.
Photo and text: Conard et al. (2003)
(Note the suit, tie and cigar, supervising the workers as they toiled - oh, how excavations used to be run! - Don )
Profile 1 from Vogelherd. Archaeological strata marked with Riek's numbering system and arrows.
Adapted from Riek (1934):41, Abb. 3.
Photo and text: Conard et al. (2003)
Profile 8 from Vogelherd. Archaeological strata marked with Riek's numbering system and arrows.
Adapted from Riek (1934):45, Abb. 5.
Photo and text: Conard et al. (2003)
Ground plan of Vogelherd, showing locations of Profiles 1 and 8.
Adapted from Riek (1934):11, Abb. 2.
Photo and text: Conard et al. (2003)
Interior of Vogelherd.
Photo: Michael Fiegle, 25th October 2011
Permission: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons license Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Incised brown bear (Ursus arctos) canine from Vogelherd, archaeological horizon unknown.
Specimen AMS dated to 29 620 ± 210 BP.
(The groove or rainurage at the top of the tooth was used to attach a cord to the tooth to use it as a pendant - Don )
Photo: Hilde Jensen
Text: Conard et al. (2003)
Cultural horizons of Vogelherd: left column lists Riek's original designations, right column lists the revised layer designations.
Photo: Conard et al. (2003)
Comprehensive summary of AMS (top) and conventional (bottom) radiocarbon dates from Vogelherd.
Photo: Conard et al. (2003)
Note that AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) radiocarbon dating is a way to obtain radiocarbon dates from samples that are far tinier than that needed for standard radiocarbon dating. Standard 14C dates require amounts of between 1 and 10 grams of charcoal; AMS can use as little as 1-2 milligrams, and under special circumstances to samples as small as 50-100 micrograms.
Text above from http://archaeology.about.com/od/amthroughanterms/g/ams_radiocarbon.htm
References
- Adam, K., Kurz, R., 1980: Eiszeitkunst im süddeutschen Raum, Theiss.
- Conard, N., Niven L., Mueller K., Stuart A., 2003: The Chronostratigraphy of the Upper Paleolithic Deposits at Vogelherd, Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Urgeschichte, — 12 (2003) 73
- Delporte H., 1993: L’image de la femme dans l’art préhistorique, Éd. Picard (1993)
- Riek, G., 1934: Die Eiszeitjägerstation am Vogelherd im Lontal, Tübingen: Akademische Buchhandlung Franz F. Heine.
- Delporte H., 1993: L’image de la femme dans l’art préhistorique, Éd. Picard (1993)
- Müller-Beck, H. and Albrecht, G. (Ed.), 1987: Die Anfänge der Kunst vor 30000 Jahren Theiss: Stuttgart.
- Pushkina D., 2007: The Pleistocene easternmost distribution in Eurasia of the species associated with the Eemian Paleooloxodon antiquus assemblage, Mammal Rev. 2007, Volume 37, No. 3, 224-245.
- Rau, S., Naumann D., Barth M., Mühleis Y., Bleckmann C., 2009: Eiszeit: Kunst und Kultur, Thorbecke, 2009, 396p. ISBN: 978-3-7995-0833-9