Geißenklösterle, Archaeological rock shelter in Ach Valley, Germany
Geißenklösterle is a rock shelter in a limestone cliff formation situated roughly 60 meters above the Ach Valley near Blaubeuren. The site reveals multiple occupation layers spanning different periods of the Stone Age.
Excavations from 1973 to 2002 revealed that humans inhabited this shelter starting around 43,000 years ago, with successive Stone Age cultures using the location over millennia. The findings established this rock shelter as a key record of life during that distant period.
The bone and ivory flutes discovered here reveal how music mattered to early humans and what they valued in their daily lives. They show the sophistication of communities that lived in this shelter thousands of years ago.
A zigzag path leads up to the rock shelter and makes the site accessible to visitors. Guided tours can be arranged by contacting the Prehistoric Museum in nearby Blaubeuren.
The shelter gained UNESCO World Heritage recognition in 2017 as part of the Caves and Ice Age Art sites in the Swabian Jura. This honor reflects its importance for understanding early human cultures.
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