The Einhorn-Höhle, located in the southern Harz Mountains, has been known as a find spot for animal bones dating to the last lce Age for centuries, with well-known nineteenth- and early twentieth-century researchers drawn to the cave to dig for evidence of glacial man. However, it was not until 1985, when individual artefacts dating to the Middle Paleolithic were discovered. Subsequently,
... [Show full abstract] excavations were carried out in the Jacob-Friesen-Gang region, and in the area of the suspected cave entrance. Over two metres of glacial stratigraphy could therefore be documented. Since 2014, new excavations have been undertaken, and a foundation layer dating to over 100,000 years ago (MIS 5) was uncovered at the base of the stratigraphy. Additionally, glacial foundation layers were detected outside the cave for the first time, although their chronology and significance can only be determined by further excavation and analysis. Cave bear remains already confirm a date prior to the Late Glacial Maximum of the last lce Age more than 24,000 years ago. Significantly, scraping marks have been documented on the cave wall in Schillersaal, and these are interpreted as scratch marks of cave bears. They show that glacial surfaces have partly survived in the cave. The new research underlines the importance of the Einhorn-Höhle for the interdisciplinary study of the Middle Paleolithic period.