Prehistoric culture In a number of caves (including Vogelherd,
Hohlenstein-Stadel,
Geißenklösterle and
Hohle Fels), all just a few kilometers apart, some of the oldest signs of human artifacts were found. Best known are: a mammoth, a horse head, a water bird, and two statues of a
lion man all of surprising quality and all more than 30,000 years old. The oldest known
musical instruments have been found here, too: flutes made from the bones of swans and griffon vultures, some 35,000 years old, and in 2004 a flute carved from the
tusk of a
mammoth dating from the Ice Age, around 37,000 years ago, and the oldest representation of the human body, the
Venus of Schelklingen. More than 3,000 engraved signs have been documented on approximately 260
Aurignacian portable artifacts from the Swabian Jura caves, dated to approximately 40,000–34,000 years ago. Analysis indicated that the repeated lines, dots, and geometric marks exhibited structured patterning and measurable information content, suggesting the use of a conventionalized system of graphic signs.
The Roman Empire This region, located south of the
limes, was part of the
Roman Empire from around the first to third century A.D. A Roman road ran along the Neckar river and over the plateau. In Hechingen-Stein a Roman outpost along this road was discovered in the 1970s and has been turned into an outdoor museum. The limes actually cuts across the plateau at
Aalen, which gets its name from the original Roman cavalry post, or
ala, on the outskirts of the modern town. Here too, the Roman ruins are being excavated and a museum has been open to the public since the late 1980s.
Traditional life Life was extremely hard in the Swabian Jura. The lack of water and the poor quality of the soil made it a backward region. For many villages fetching water required a long journey by horse. Since water often needed to be stored over a long time, it was often stagnant. Thus disinfection via alcohol was very popular: "Most" (
cider) was mixed with water and even given to babies. A modern water supply system (outstanding for its time) was built in the late 1880s, which eased the situation.
Language Locals in the areas speak the distinct German dialect known as
Swabian German, which varies even throughout the Jura and is difficult to understand for speakers of Standard German. The dialect at the top of the plateau () is markedly different from, and stronger than, even the broadest Swabian of the lowland areas. Across the whole Swabian region, many phrases and grammar are highly localized, even down to the village level; however, the Swabian dialect of the highland regions is characterised by a
sing-song melody, and some of the verb forms are also distinct, not only from
Standard German, but also from those of the rest of
Swabia. In former times,
Yiddish,
Pleißne and
Romani was also spoken. The
Pleißne was spoken by
hawkers selling items such as baskets, brushes, and whips, and belongs to
Rotwelsch. It was used as a code.
Tradition The "
Swabian–
Alemannic" carnival is an important tradition in many of the villages, called variously "
Fastnacht", "Fasnacht", "Fasnet", or "Fasching". Of particular cultural importance is the Fasnet celebration in Rottweil. Typical of the Alemannic tradition are the witches and forest- or well-spirits, who typically signify Winter or the forces of nature coming to drive Winter out. The various roles are often claimed to have been defined in pre-Christian times and here the exact traditions vary from village to village, creating a fantastic variety of heroes, villains and good and evil creatures. It is also often the case that, while in one town a strong tradition of celebrating Fasnet has survived, the neighboring town will have almost no tradition. This is in many instances linked to the after-effects of the Protestant Reformation and the later influence of the Calvinistic Pietists, who more or less strictly opposed such frivolous - even heathen - behaviour. Catholic regions to this day tend to have a stronger Fasnet tradition. A Swabian Fasnet celebration in any case has little or nothing in common with the simultaneous celebrations along the Middle Rhein, which are well known across Germany because they are televised every year. Swabians generally are expected to go to work as normal on Rose Monday and Fat Tuesday, unlike their neighbors to the northwest. == Industry ==