Königshöhle, Natural limestone cave in Baden, Austria
Königshöhle is a limestone cave with a wide entrance portal and extends roughly 25 meters into a rock formation. The hollow space in this geological structure was used over thousands of years by people who lived there and performed ritual activities.
The cave was inhabited during the Neolithic period and early Bronze Age, with numerous finds confirming this long occupation. Systematic excavations in the 1920s brought prehistoric objects to light that transformed our understanding of these early cultures.
The cave served as a vital location for people of the Baden culture, who created pottery with high-arched handles and incised decorations here. The site was so influential that archaeologists named the entire cultural period after this place.
The inner area is accessible through an easily reachable entrance, though sturdy footwear is recommended because of the damp and uneven ground. Visitors learn more about the excavations at the Rollettmuseum in Baden, which displays the recovered objects.
A copper ring discovered during excavations suggests the cave may have been a place for cremation ceremonies. This precious burial offering is unusual and raises questions about the site's significance for early inhabitants.
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