Since the first major excavation in 1870, the cave has been known among experts as an important archaeological site. Since 1977, the University of Tübingen has been digging in the entrance cave every summer.

The site gained international recognition when, in 2008, the “Venus vom Hohle Fels” and the “Vulture Flute” were found almost simultaneously during these excavations, both around 42,500 years old. They are therefore the oldest plastic human representation and the oldest musical instrument in the world!

The excavation now documents a period of 65,000 years, from the settlement by Neanderthals to finds from the late Middle Ages.