The Geißenklösterle cave is a pivotal archaeological site located in the Swabian Jura, near Blaubeuren in southern Germany, and holds significant importance for the Central European Upper Palaeolithic period. Situated in the Ach Valley at the Bruckfels rocks, approximately 60 metres above the valley floor, it is a karst cave formed from limestone, representing a remnant of a much larger, ancient cave system. First explored in 1963, systematic excavations began in 1973, though only a small portion of the cave has been excavated to date. Due to the historical and cultural significance of its discoveries, the site was officially designated as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura" in 2017.
The cave is renowned for containing traces of some of the earliest known prehistoric art, dating back between 43,000 and 30,000 years ago, primarily from the Aurignacian culture. Key finds from its Aurignacian levels (43,000 to 32,000 years ago) include stone tools, artefacts made from antlers, bones, and ivory. Among the most notable discoveries are two flutes carved from bird bone and mammoth ivory, recognised as the oldest known musical instruments in the world, dating to 42,000 to 43,000 years ago. Additionally, many small carved figurines, depicting Ice Age animals such as mammoths, bison, and cave lions, have been uncovered. An ivory relief of a human figure, known as the "Adorant from the Geißenklösterle cave," also distinguishes the site; this 35,000–32,000-year-old object depicts a figure with raised arms and distinct rows of notches on its reverse, which may represent a system of time reckoning linked to lunar cycles and celestial observations.
