Arndthöhle

Useful Information

Location:	Near Attenzell. Near Denkendorf in the Altmühltal (Altmühl Valley), 750 m northeast of Attenzell. (48.912950, 11.395300)
Open:	APR to SEP no restrictions. Closed in Winter for bat protection. [2022]
Fee:	Free. [2022]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	VR=30 m, A=468 m NN.
Guided tours:	ST=80, VR=30 m.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no, many steps
Bibliography:
Address:	Tourist-Information Kipfenberg, Marktplatz 20, 85110 Kipfenberg, Tel: +49-8465-9410-40, Fax: +49-8465-9410-43. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1799	description of the cave mentions many caves.
1868	description by Karl Kugler.
1970er	staircase into the cave built.
1976	Jura-Museum in the Gemmingenbau opened to the public.
1980	Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte in the Willibaldsburg opened to the public.

Description

The Arndthöhle is known for a very long time. Today it is developed with a comfortable trail, mostly a staircase with concrete stairs which leads down to the bottom of the shaft. The Arndthöhle is sometimes also written Arnthöhle (without d), which seems to be an old spelling. Another old name for the cave is Arngrube.

The cave is of great archaeological interest, with remains from Urnfield culture, Hallstatt culture and the High and Late Middle Ages. It is therefore protected as a Historic Monument. However, no archaeological excavations have ever been carried out in the cave, only finds from the floor have been recovered. Various people, including the "father" of the Jura Museum, Franz Xaver Mayr, have investigated the cave and recovered finds. Many of the artefacts can be seen today in the Jura Museum, or more precisely in the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte (Museum of Prehistory and Early History) at Willibaldsburg Castle in Eichstätt. This museum is definitely worth a visit, as it also exhibits an Eichstätt archaeopteryx and the rich natural history collections of the Eichstätt Episcopal Seminary.

An old description of the cave from 1799 mentions "Auf dem Boden liegen allerlei Gebeine von Tieren allenthalben herum" (All kinds of animal bones are lying around on the floor). As a daylight shaft, this cave was frequently a trap for animals, perhaps also for people. Anyone who fell in could not get out again, especially if the fall resulted in injury. People also liked to use such shafts for sacrifices, burials or to get rid of dead animals. Large numbers of pottery shards have also been found. Archaeologist and district curator Karl-Heinz Rieder has recovered smashed human bones from the cave. They led to the theory of a prehistoric sacrificial shaft. But Rieder himself does not believe in this sacrificial shaft theory. Ultimately, it is pure speculation, which is probably heavily influenced by books and films and zeitgeist. It is at least as likely that human remains from cemeteries were simply disposed of in the shaft. This was definitely done, this is how ossuaries were created.