The Messel fossile pit - the first German UNESCO natural heritage site

The Messel pit

 In 1995 the fossil site Grube Messel near Darmstadt was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as Germany's first natural heritage site. 48 million years ago there was a water-filled volcanic crater at the site of today's mine. In the deep layers of the crater lake there was practically no oxygen. Therefore, animal bodies and plant remains could not decompose and remained excellently preserved as fossils in the very fine-grained sediment.

The unique quality of the full-body skeletons, including body outline, hair, feathers and even stomach contents have led to the pit’s  inclusion on the World Heritage List.

During the Eocene period Messel lay in a tropical rainforest. Crocodiles and a large number of bats are typical finds in the oil shale of the mine. However, the site is famous for its primeval horses. The oil shale, which contains a lot of water, makes it necessary to transfer the finds to synthetic resin. Without this preparation technique, the valuable fossils would be destroyed by drying.

During the late 1980s, the mine was planned to be used as a waste dump. Strong protest of the people saved the site as a natural monument. However, the real treasures can only be discovered in a museum - either in the Visitor Centre at the mine or, for example, in the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt.