Belemnite battleground

The Belemnitenschlachtfeld (Belemnite Battlefield) in the Buttenheim clay pit is a significant fossil site in Germany. The clay pit is located between Forchheim and Bamberg in Franconia. This clay pit contains clayey marl layers from the Upper Pliensbachian or Domerian, belonging to the Lias Delta. Collecting fossils in the clay pit is allowed outside of operating hours[2External link].

The Buttenheim clay pit houses a variety of fossils from the Lower Jurassic, including ammonites, belemnites, snails, mussels, brachiopods, and rare finds such as wood, crinoid stems, shark teeth, and crabs[2External link][3External link]. Well-preserved fossils can be found, especially in the lower part of the clay pit known as the "Schilllage" and in the upper part in the Spinatum Zone. Tools such as a geological hammer, chisel, wooden mallet, and pickaxe, gloves, rain gear, and rubber boots are recommended for collecting fossils. The fossils in the Buttenheim clay pit provide insights into the marine environment of the Franconian Jurassic Sea approximately 185 million years ago[3External link][5External link].

Another significant fossil site in the region is the Mistelgau quarry in Upper Franconia, Germany. It contains a Belemnitenschlachtfeld and remains of dinosaurs. The Mistelgau quarry gained regional fame for its impressive fossil finds from the Lower Jurassic. Here, you can find belemnites, ammonites, the 15-meter-long fish lizard Temnodontosaurus, and the pterosaur Dorygnathus mistelgauensis. Access to the quarry is currently only possible through guided tours, and private fossil collecting is not permitted.[1External link].

Overall, both the Buttenheim clay pit and the Mistelgau quarry offer fascinating insights into life millions of years ago and are important sites for studying the evolution and ecology of organisms from that time[1External link][2External link][3External link]. The preservation and research of the fossils are ensured through collaboration between the municipality, the Urwelt-Museum Bayreuth, the Geopark Bayern-Böhmen, the government, and the Bayreuth Natural Science Society[1External link].

Location of the Belemniten-Battleground near the village Buttenheim

Image: IGW