Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps are a group of ancient settlements built between about 5000 and 500 BC near lakes, rivers, or wetlands in and around the Alps. In 2011, 111 sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. These sites are located in Switzerland (56), Italy (19), Germany (18), France (11), Austria (5), and Slovenia (2). In Slovenia, these were the first sites listed for their cultural importance.
Archaeological digs at some of these locations have uncovered information about how people lived and how they interacted with their environment during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages in Alpine Europe. These settlements are a special group of well-preserved and culturally significant sites. They are among the most important places for studying early farming communities in the region.
These homes were not built over water, but on nearby wet, marshy land. They were raised on piles to avoid flooding. Over time, lakes have expanded, and many of the original piles are now underwater. This makes it seem as though the homes were always built over water, but this is not true. Climate change is also affecting the natural environments where these sites are located.
Gallery
- Neolithic palafitte located in Ledro, Italy
- Patterns found on pile dwellings ceramics from Lake Bourget, Savoy, 1915
- Ceramics from palafittes at Lake Bourget, Savoy, 1915
- Remains of underwater palafittes discovered at the station of Morges, Switzerland, 2011
- Inventory of metallic materials from pile dwellings at Lake Bourget, Savoy, 1908
- Canoe discovered at Lake Chalain, Jura, 1904
- Reconstruction of a Neolithic house
- Illustration showing dwellings and artefacts
- Reconstruction of a prehistoric pile-dwelling house
- Reconstruction of a prehistoric pile-dwelling house
- Reconstruction of a prehistoric pile-dwelling house
- Reconstruction of a prehistoric pile-dwelling house
- Reconstruction of a Bronze Age house (c. 1000 BC) at the Laténium museum, Switzerland
- Bronze Age settlement at Cortaillod-Est, Switzerland, c. 1000 BC
- Cortaillod-Est, c. 1000 BC
- Remains of the Cortaillod-Est settlement
- House from Cortaillod-Est
- Neolithic settlement at Pfyn-Breitenloo, c. 3700 BC, Pfyn culture, Switzerland
- Neolithic settlement at Clairvaux-les-Lacs, France, c. 4000 BC
- Bronze Age settlement at Molina di Ledro, Italy, Polada culture, c. 2200–1500 BC
- Reconstruction of a Bronze Age settlement at Molina di Ledro
- Palafitte model displayed at the Museo di Villa Mirabello
- Fiave 6, showing the facies of pile dwellings and dammed settlements, Italy
- Historical illustration
- Illustration of a lake settlement in Switzerland