The Ofnet Caves (German: Ofnethöhlen) are the remains of an underground karst system on the edge of the Nördlinger Ries in Germany. They are located on a limestone hill near Nördlingen, Bavaria. The caves became famous in 1908 when 33 prehistoric human skulls were discovered. The skulls were dated to the Mesolithic period.
Ofnethöhlen | |
 Large Ofnet Cave | |
  location in Germany  Ofnet Caves (Germany) | |
| Location | Nördlingen |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 48°49′7″N 10°27′1″E / 48.81861°N 10.45028°E |
| Type | Cave |
| History | |
| Periods | Mesolithic |
Description
editThere are two caves (or rock shelters) called the Grosse and Kleine Ofnet (Large and Small Ofnet).[1]
Skull remains
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In the Grosse Ofnet in 1908 archaeologist R. R. Schmidt found two dish-shaped pits in which human skulls were lying "like eggs in flat baskets".[1] In the larger pit were 27 skulls and in the other there were 6 skulls.[2] The skulls were arranged concentrically with their faces turned towards the setting sun.[2] They were all covered with a thick layer of red ochre.[2] The skulls have been dated to the 7th millennium BC.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Oliva, Martin (2005). Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Moravia. Moravian Museum. p. 112.
- ^ a b c Onians, R. B. (1988). The Origins of European Thought. Cambridge University Press. p. 541. ISBN 0521347947.
- ^ Whittle, A. W. R. (1996). Europe in the Neolithic: The Creation of New Worlds. Cambridge University Press. p. 153. ISBN 0521449200.
External links
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Media related to Ofnethöhlen at Wikimedia Commons