Station: [111] The Late Ice-Age Habitat

During an exceptionally cold phase during the last Ice Age many animal species that inhabited the ice-age steppe died out. Neanderthals vanished as well. Temperatures rose very slowly until it suddenly turned warm in around 12,500 BC. The climate then began to change dramatically within short spaces of time and we call this period of time up until 9,600 BC, the Late Ice Age.  

The high temperatures led to changes in the landscape. The Mammoth Steppe gradually gave way to a light wood of sea buckthorn and juniper trees, which were joined by dwarf birch, willow and pine trees and then by oak, hazel and alder. Horses, megaloceros, lions, cave hyenas and cave bears were all indigenous species and dormice inhabited the shrubbery.

The pedestals in the exhibition area give you a good impression of vegetal and animal wildlife during the Late Ice Age. And homo sapiens returned to our latitudes He has new techniques and the ability to cooperate, which helped him survive the still difficult environmental conditions.