CH-VD-16
Yvonand, | Le Marais
Short Description
The bay of Yvonand is home to an archaeological site comprising five prehistoric pile dwelling sites located on dry land. The three most important sites overlap partially at a place called Le Marais (Yvonand II, IV and V). The best-preserved settlements date from the late Neolithic period and correspond to the Horgen and Lüscherz cultures. a final village was occupied in the Late Bronze Age. This site is essential for understanding the history of Neolithic settlement in western Switzerland, as it is the westernmost point of Horgen discovery in Switzerland, thus bearing witness to the transition between the Horgen and Lüscherz cultures.
The distribution of the various settlements, along an axis running from the land to the lake, is representative of how the habitat adapted to various fluctuations in water levels.
Please find further details in the "Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse DHS"
Special Features & Highlights
Ceramic artefacts belonging to the Horgen and Lüscherz cultures are particularly well represented at this site. Two copper pins with coiled heads attest to the earliest copper metallurgy in western Switzerland.
Pile Dwellings up close
Archaeological artefacts collected from sites on the Vaud shores of Lake Neuchâtel are on display at the Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History in Lausanne and at the Museum of Yverdon and Region in Yverdon-les-Bains.
Musée cantonal d'archéologie et d'histoire
Palais de Rumine
Place de la Riponne 6
1005 Lausanne
+41 21 316 34 30
to the website
Musée d’Yverdon et région
Le château
1400 Yverdon-les-Bains
+41 24 245 93 10
to the website
Neolithic / Bronze Age
Late Neolithic (Horgen culture and Lüscherz group), Late Bronze Age
Lake Neuchâtel
430 m.a.s.l.
Size of the site:
1,95 ha / approx. 3 soccer pitches
Size of the bufferzone:
16,92 ha / approx. 24 soccer pitches
