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The Ofnet Caves and the Roman Ruins
The "Ofnethöhlen", or Ofnet Caves, are located in the village of Holheim, not far from Nördlingen. They formed along the outer side of the rim of the Nördlingen Ries meteor crater. Evidence of the crater can be seen at from the Ofnet Caves location. For more information about the Nördlingen Ries meteor crater, go to the Nördlingen webpage.
The Ofnet Caves, along with towns such as Nördlingen, Harburg, and Donauwörth, lay in the Donau-Ries - or Nördlinger Ries - district of Bavaria. Donau means "Danube" in German, and this area is the Danube River valley. It was a fertile area and rich with game.
Evidence suggests that Neanderthal man inhabited the caves around 40,000 years ago. Artifacts and tools of Early Stone Age Homo Sapiens have also been discovered in the Ofnet Caves, and over 30 human skulls from around 5000 BC were found.
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The Celts occupied the area around the caves from about 450 BC to 15 BC, when the Romans conquered the region. In about 90 AD, the Reis district became part of the Roman Empire. For several years the area was home to a Roman military fort, but around 100 AD the fort was relocated. The residents, however, remained, and the area around the Ofnet Caves was an important administrative, trade, and craft center for Roman troops.
The area was densely populated with small farms, or country homes, called Roman Villa Rustica. A stone wall enclosed each villa, with individual bath house, office, and courtyard. The villas were similar in style, but the size and furnishings of the estate demonstrated the social status of the landowner. It is believed that these country villas were awarded to Roman soldiers upon completion of about 25 years of service in the Roman army.
The Roman settlement did not last long. In 260 AD, the Alamanians (Alemanni tribe) invaded the area and forced the Romans to move the border south to the Danube River.
Both a sampling of the Villa foundation walls and the human skulls found in the Ofnet Caves are on display in the Nördlingen Town Museum.
For directions, go to the Nördlingen Museum website, click Kontakt, and send an email requesting directions from your location. Or follow these directions: From Nördlingen, get on the B 466 going southwest. In 4.5 km you will pass the road to Holheim. Less than a kilometer further, turn right onto Romanstraße. There may be a sign for the Ofnet Caves or the Roman Villas. We have a map to the Ofnet Caves & Roman Ruins from Nördlingen available, which is a PDF file.