CH-BE-01

Short Description
The remains of an early settlement were discovered in the area of the port of Vingelz, in 1874. The steep northern banks of the Bieler Lake offered very few suitable sites for settlement, compared to the much more level southern shore, and so the site was used over and over again. A palisade made of wooden piles dates to the oldest construction phase, around 2970 BC. After a long hiatus, another two to three villages were constructed on the site between 2825 BC and 2695 BC. The extent and the preservation of the site has been examined by underwater core drilling and prospecting. Although the extent of the site is not very large, it bears several rich archaeological horizons with a stratigraphy of stone, wood, clay and general refuse. The layers quickly thin out toward the deeper waters of the lake.