Entrance to the Great Ofnet Cave (depth approx 17 m)
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The Ries is regarded as a treasure trove of pre- and early history and provides evidence for an impressively continuous settlement: from the Palaeolithic Age through the Roman and Alemannic eras, through the Middle Age, and into early modern times. The nobility, monasteries, and churches all created a cultural variety with many different elements. The names of towns and villages ending with “-ingen” and “-heim” bear testimony to the Alemannic and Franconian settlement history of the Ries. The history of settlement of the Eastern Alb District, which extends into the Ries, is closely associated with the history of the Nördlinger Ries. In the Celtic Hallstatt period an important chief’s residence was developed on the Ipf, a butte belonging to the Swabian Alb. This residence represents a center of the whole cultural province, with its influence certainly extending right into the Ries plain.
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Early Celtic chief’s residence on the Ipf
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In the Celtic Hallstatt period an important chief’s residence was developed on the Ipf, a butte belonging to the Swabian Alb. This residence represents a center of the whole cultural province, with its influence certainly extending right into the Ries plain. The Ipf mountain is one of an exclusive set of about 20 important residences in Central Europe.
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The rather flat interior plain of the fertile Ries Basin and the favorable location at the intersection of different cultural spheres were excellent conditions for early settlement since the Middle Paleolithic Age and for the development of a self-contained cultural area.
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