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  Wildkirchli Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Wildkirchli Location in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden Show map of Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden | |
| Location | Alpstein massif |
|---|---|
| Region | Appenzell Innerrhoden |
| Coordinates | 47°16′55″N9°24′29″E / 47.28194°N 9.40806°E /47.28194; 9.40806 |
| History | |
| Periods | Paleolithic |
| Associated with | Neanderthal |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Emil Bächler |
Wildkirchli (lit. 'Wild Chapel') are three interlinked caves situated in theAlpstein massif in theAppenzell Innerrhoden canton of Switzerland, north-east of MountSäntisSwitzerland. The caves are located at a height of 1,477–1,500 m (4,846–4,921 ft). They are notable for the traces ofPaleolithicNeanderthal habitation, dating to c. 40,000 BP, andcave bear bones dating to 90,000–40,000 BP. A museum at the site houses a full bear skeleton that was found in one of the caves.
There are three caves, theAltarhöhle (lit. 'altar cave'), theUntere Höhle ("lower cave"), and theObere Höhle ("upper cave"), located on theEbenalp, which is the northernmost summit of theAppenzell Alps. They sit at a height of 1,477–1,500 metres (4,846–4,921 ft),[1] and are reached bycable car fromWasserauen to the top of Ebenalp, followed by a 15-minute hike down the mountain.[2]Wasserauen railway station is served byregional trains from/toHerisau/Gossau, which are both served by long-distance trains.
The earliest-known documentation of the cave was a visit by a cave explorers' club, the Höhlenklub of Appenzell, in 1863.[3] In 1658, Paulus Ulmann (1613–1680), a priest in Appenzell, founded a chapel in the lower cave and established ahermitage in the upper cave.[4] A series of hermits inhabited the site, and provided food and lodging to pilgrims who visited the chapel. The last hermit died in 1851, and the hermitage was eventually transformed into an inn.[4] A small museum which is a recreation of the hermits' house was built on the site of the old inn.[2]
The cave chapel and pilgrimage were the subject of one chapter ofJoseph Victor von Scheffel'sEkkehard: A Tale of the Tenth Century, Volume II.[5]
Many bones have been found in the caves; the hermits sold them to pilgrims. In 1903–1908,Emil Bächler discoveredflint tools in theAltarhöhle. Their identification asMousterian was the first demonstration of Neanderthal man in the Appenzell Alps.[1] Later excavations revealed threestratigraphic layers in the Altarhöhle. The lowest layer (90,000–40,000 BP) contained primarily cave bear bones. The upper layer contained the flint tools and was dated to the final phase of the Mousterian (about 40 000 BC). The layer also contained bones from animals such aschamois,ibexes and wolves, suggesting that the caves served as summer hunting sites.[6]
Today the caves have become a tourist destination. On the same path as the caves is theBerggasthaus Aescher, a 170-year-old guesthouse built into the cliff. The guesthouse was included as one of the four most interesting restaurants by theHuffington Post[7] and it was featured on the cover ofNational Geographic's "Places of a Lifetime" publication (2015).[8]
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