Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura

World Heritage

Germany

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Modern humans first arrived in Europe during the last Ice Age, 43,000 years ago. One of the areas they settled was the Swabian Jura in southern Germany. Six caves excavated since the 1860s have yielded objects dating back between 43,000 and 33,000 years. These include animal figurines (including cave lions, mammoths, horses and bovines), musical instruments and personal ornaments. Other figurines depict creatures that are half-human, half-animal, and one female statue. These archaeological sites display some of the oldest figurative art in the world, helping to illuminate the origins of human artistic development.

# Musical Instruments