| Kesslerloch | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kesslerloch near Thayngen in July 2019 | |
  Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Location in the canton of Schaffhausen Show map of Canton of Schaffhausen | |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 47°44′44.9124″N8°41′40.218″E / 47.745809000°N 8.69450500°E /47.745809000; 8.69450500 |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,300 ft) |
| Entrances | 1 |
| Access | Public |
| Website | Naturpark Schaffhausen(in German) |
TheKesslerloch is acave nearThayngen in thecanton of Schaffhausen inSwitzerland. Located in the Herblingertal valley at the south-eastern foot of the Reiat plateau, the cave is approximately 200 m2 (2,200 sq ft) in size and divided by a stone pillar.
In prehistoric times, reindeer hunters likely used it as a shelter during the summer months between 15,000 and 11,000 years ago (Upper Palaeolithic,Magdalenian culture). Its position in a narrow valley was advantageous for a hunting station, similar to the nearbyPetersfels [de] (approximately 15 km [9.3 mi] northeast) nearEngen.
The cave, along with surrounding forest land and meadows, was placed under state protection in 1902.
On 4 December 1873, secondary school teacher Konrad Merk (1846–1914) conducted the first excavation in the Kesslerloch cave with his colleague D. Wepf and two students.[1] A year later, he carried out further excavations. The results were published in 1875 in theMitteilungen der Antiquarischen Gesellschaft Zürich.Jakob Nüesch [de], who discovered theSchweizersbild cave in 1894, conducted additional excavations in 1893, 1898, and 1899, followed byJakob Heierli in 1902 and 1903. The final excavation took place in 1980.[citation needed]
Initial finds were poorly documented, with some exchanged or sold among excavators. Ludwig Leiner acquired the finds from the first excavation in 1875 for theRosgarten Museum in Konstanz, which he founded, where the 'Searching Reindeer' is now exhibited.[citation needed]
Two engravings of a fox and a bear were later identified as forgeries: in 1875, assistant excavator Martin Stamm commissioned his nephew Konrad Bollinger to engrave the animals on a bone, based on a template from the bookDie Thiergärten und Menagerien mit ihren Insassen.[2]
Excavations uncovered bones from 53 animal species, includingmammoths,reindeer,woolly rhinoceroses,ibexes, andchamois. No human bones were found. Stone tools made from localflint, approximately 200 projectile points, and tools and implements crafted fromantlers,bones, andivory were also discovered. A piece of a domestic dog's upper jaw, found in 1874, was dated to between 14,100 and 14,600 years old, making it one of the earliest pieces of evidence for thedomestication of thewolf in Central Europe.[3]
The Kesslerloch gained fame for small artworks, such as pendants and perforated rods. As many researchers initially doubted that Stone Age people could produce art, these finds caused a sensation. The most notable is the engraving of the "Searching Reindeer" (previously called "Grazing Reindeer") on a reindeer antler fragment,[4][5] likely part of a perforated rod, discovered by geologistAlbert Heim in the presence ofJakob Messikommer on 4 January 1874. Other finds include the Venus of Kesslerloch and jewellery made from shells, pitch coal, snails, and animal teeth.[citation needed]
Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, two reproductions of a fox and a bear, now easily recognisable as crude forgeries, were included in Merk's discovery report.Ludwig Lindenschmidt identified them as copies from a contemporary children's book.[6][7]
Finds from the Kesslerloch are displayed at theMuseum zu Allerheiligen inSchaffhausen. Thediorama of the Kesslerloch, developed in 1939 by museum technician Hans Wanner in collaboration with German stage designer Juri Richter, was a milestone in museum design, though it no longer reflects the latest scientific research.[citation needed]
Theperforated rod with the 'Searching Reindeer' is held by theRosgarten Museum inKonstanz. A copy is displayed, while the original is kept in a safe. Additional copies are exhibited at the Museum zu Allerheiligen and theSwiss National Museum in Zurich, where other finds are also showcased.[citation needed]
The cave's name derives from theJenisch people (formerly known asKessler in eastern Switzerland, a surname still common today), who in early modern times collected pots and other cooking utensils in surrounding communities, repaired them in the cave, and sold them again.[8] According to Konrad Merk's research report, itinerant Jenisch families found shelter in the cave as late as the early 19th century.[9]
Media related toKesslerloch at Wikimedia Commons
47°44′44.9124″N8°41′40.218″E / 47.745809000°N 8.69450500°E /47.745809000; 8.69450500