It was an archaeological sensation:in 1994, during excavations in the small town of Schöningen near Helmstedt, researchers came across eight completely preserved wooden hunting weapons. What is special:the spears are around 300,000 years old and, thanks to the geological conditions at the site where they were found, are very well preserved. They are considered to be the oldest surviving hunting weapons of mankind. In the spring of 2020, experts reported on another spectacular find. They had come across the nearly complete skeleton of a Eurasian forest elephant that is similar in age. The area was also home to lions, bears, rhinos and other large mammals at the time.
Hunting scenes from the early days of mankind
The former land and living environment of "Homo heidelbergensis" comes to life in impressive paintings.The Schöningen research museum - which was originally called Palaeon - shows all the details about the finds and the lives of people 300,000 years ago. In addition to the spears, the exhibition presents numerous bones and stone tools and depicts hunting scenes from that time in pictures and installations. Visitors will also learn about "Hamlet," a life-size replica of a "Homo heidelbergensis," an ancestor of modern-day humans. The exhibition also offers an insight into the climate history of the earth by means of layers of the earth. Since the excavations at the lignite mine in Schöningen are ongoing, new finds keep coming to light.
Schöninger spears:The world of homo heidelbergensis
The discovery of the spears, which are around two meters long, is so important for scientists because it shows how Homo heidelbergensis lived and hunted in the Palaeolithic Age. The spears lay in the middle of a storage area with other hunting weapons and thousands of wild horse bones. Numerous theses about the development of mankind had to be rejected because of the finds.
Modern architecture for finds from the Palaeolithic
The facade of the building acts like a mirror, reflecting the sky and landscape.From the outside, the futuristic building of the museum looks like a mirror that reflects the surrounding forest and meadow landscape. From the inside, there are views of the sites on the edge of a lignite open-cast mining area that was closed in 2016 and is now being restored.
The complex also includes a 24 hectare park, which was modeled on the landscape of the Paleolithic period. An adventure course with various hands-on stations brings children closer to the landscape.
New name since July 2019
The research museum Schöningen was called Palaeon until June 2019 and was criticized for losses in the millions and declining visitor numbers. Then it was taken over by the state of Lower Saxony, which now bears a large part of the running costs.