New shine for the Wildkirchli caves: archaeologists in search of traces!

New shine for the Wildkirchli caves: archaeologists in search of traces!

Wildkirchli, Schweiz - The Wildkirchli caves below the Ebenalp, an archaeological jewel, are back in the spotlight! These caves, together with the famous Wildenmannlisloch and Drachenloch in the canton of St. Gallen, are of enormous importance for archeology and archaeozoolology. The legendary finds of Emil Bächler, a St. Gallen naturalist and former director of the St. Gallen Nature Museum, made the Wildkirchli known worldwide. His discoveries that come from the time of the Neanderthals include countless bones of cave bears and other fascinating ice age animals.

Now, over 60 years after the last excavations, research in the Wildkirchli caves is revived! Fabio Wegmüller, the head of the geophysical investigations, emphasizes that the life of the Neanderthals and the Central Paleolithic era are strongly in the focus in current scientific research. New archaeological methods make it possible to explore the legacies, the nutrition and culture of these early people in more detail. Leandra Reitmaier-Naef, curator of archeology in the Kulturmuseum St. Gallen, emphasizes that modern explorations enable a more precise dating and reconstruction of the living conditions of the Neanderthals.

Green light for new research

The resumption of archaeological research is enthusiastically welcomed by the Wildkirchli Foundation and the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden! Both parties officially approved the geophysical measurements. In a first step, the archaeological potential of the caves was determined with scientific processes. Geoscientist Bertil Mächtle from Heidelberg University explains that geoelectric measurements enable a complete, non -destructive reconstruction of the layers and localize previous excavation areas.

insights into the past

The new studies could also provide groundbreaking knowledge for archaeozoology! Martina Pacher, curator of archeozoology at the St. Gallen Nature Museum, explains that the new data will help to better understand Emil Bächler's excavations and to put them in the context of the still existing deposits. Freshly excavated bones are crucial for modern methods such as genetic analyzes and radiometric dating. In addition, the researchers hope for new finds of rare species, such as the cave panther, and bones with machining traces of the ice age man. The evaluation of the geophysical studies is now eagerly awaited, while the archaeologists from the University of Zurich together with the Kulturmuseum and Naturmuseum St. Gallen are planning the next steps.