Neolithic and Bronze Age wetland sites around the Alps (so called pile-dwellings, Pfahlbauten or palafittes in german/french) are of outstanding universal value (UNESCO-World Heritage since 2011). Typical sites are in lakes, rivers and bogs, dating between 5300 and 800 BC.
Around the Alps more than 750 sites exist, whereas Switzerland owns 430. Of common character is the perfect conservation of wood, textiles from plant fabrics and many other organic materials.
Larger quantities of sub-fossilized wood offer the possibility of high-precision dating by dendrochronology (actually more than 100’000 samples). Comparable sites exist outside of the Alpine area, but in smaller quantities. Regions like Russia (small lakes in NW-Russia) and Macedonia (medium size lakes in the boarder zone of Macedonia, Albania and Greece) have a high scientific potential; rivers in Ukraine are supposed to have the same type of sites.
The general aims of the proposed Institutional Partnership (IP) is to build up a scientific network in Neolithic and wetland archaeology and the transfer of knowledge from Switzerland, as one of the worldwide leading countries in this field, to the participating Eastern European (EE) countries. The further aims of the planned IP are to concentrate on an improvement of archaeological field techniques (mainly underwater archaeology/documentation under water/diving security) and dating methods. Dendrochronology is by far the most precise dating method available, but this method is not yet applied in Russia, Macedonia and Ukraine. The combined application of locally developed dendrochronological calendars and radiocarbon dating is most promising. All EE-sites have the potential to give new insights on the process of the Neolithisation of Europe.
Management:
Prof. Dr. Albert Hafner, Institute of Archeological Sciences, University of Berne
Funding:
SNF, SCOPES, Project No. 160469
