The craters that never were: Anthropogenic origins of alleged impact structures in the Chiemgau regionOPEN ACCESS 

Robert Huber, Hans Lauterbach, Robert Darga

MAPS, Version of Record online: 21 October 2026

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“Public fascination with impact craters often drives bold speculations, but rigorous verification is critical. In southeastern Bavaria, numerous depressions have been proposed to represent impact craters associated with a catastrophic event in Celtic times (between 900 BC and 600 BC)—the so called “Chiemgau Impact.” To date, the evidence presented in support of the proposed Chiemgau Impact has not been independently validated as diagnostic of a confirmed impact event, and this interpretation has been repeatedly challenged in the scientific literature. More recently, numerous newly identified, predominantly small-scale structures have been presented as further evidence supporting this claim. Many, however, lack precise geographic information, complicating independent verification. We localized and critically examined these structures in the field as well as using publicly available high-resolution LIDAR data, aerial imagery (historic and recent), and development plans. The majority of these images show structures which are demonstrably anthropogenic, including gravel pits, WWII bomb craters, retention basins, and—most notably—golf course features such as bunkers and ponds. Other depressions correspond to glacial landforms characteristic of the Inn-Chiemsee foreland. None of the structures examined exhibit characteristics that would support a formation by a cosmic impact. The repeated misinterpretation of recently constructed golf course elements as impact craters highlights a striking lack of methodological rigor and illustrates how extraordinary claims can arise from neglecting simple cross-checks with publicly available geospatial and planning data and indicates that the postulated impact in Chiemgau belongs to the realm of myths.”