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🏛️ Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps

Archaeology & Antiquity Italy Europe

🏛️ Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
111 archaeological sites spanning 5000–500 BCE


🕐 2 min read · Updated 1 Apr 2026 at 12:10

UNESCOUNESCO World Heritage Site

📋 Fast Facts
  • 111 individual archaeological sites across Alpine Europe
  • Settlements dated 5000–500 BCE (Neolithic and Bronze Age)
  • 56 sites located in Switzerland; remainder in Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Slovenia
  • Exceptional preservation of organic materials provides unique insights into prehistoric agrarian life

This serial UNESCO World Heritage property comprises 111 small archaeological sites documenting prehistoric pile-dwelling settlements constructed on the edges of lakes, rivers, and wetlands across and surrounding the Alpine region. Built between approximately 5000 and 500 BCE, these settlements represent the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods of Alpine Europe. Only a portion of the sites have undergone systematic excavation, yet those investigations have recovered exceptionally well-preserved ...

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