Between Lakes, Hilltops and Caves
World Archaeology Seminars
»Between Lakes, Hilltops and Caves. Prehistoric Pile-dwellings in the Alpe-Adria-Region Carinthia [Austria]«
Marie-Claire Ries | University of Innsbruck, Department of Archaeologies
Archaeological studies in Austria´s province of Carinthia have been notably underrepresented in the international research discourse. The Alpe-Adria region boasts rich natural (metallurgical) resources and is characterized by bodies of water, including numerous large lakes, peat bogs and the fluvial main axis of the Drava River flowing eastwards to Southeastern Europe. Within this environment, movement of people as well as exchange of objects, ideas and technologies have occurred in the past.
The onset of sedentary life and farming is documented for the 5th and 4th Millennia BCE. Chalcolithic communities associated with the Kanzianiberg-Lasinja culture, along with groups with pottery exhibiting furrow incisions, have shaped the local archaeological record. However, our cultural knowledge is limited due to the lack of modern investigations and stratified contexts.
One of the very few pieces of evidence for local settlement activity is the submerged pile-dwelling site in Lake Keutschachersee (a UNESCO heritage site). Exceptionally well-preserved house structures at this site are among Austria´s oldest wooden architectural remains. A newly launched project has now taken on the task of answering the question: Where are the other pile-dwelling sites?
The project aims to contribute to this discussion by updating the current site inventories. Evidence is systematically recorded through scientific diving, fieldwork campaigns in wetlands and archival research. Preliminary results, including the analysis of artefacts from a newly discovered case-study site in Lake Wörthersee (Kapuzinerinsel) are presented. The local material culture exhibits strong similarities to well-investigated records from the south and southeast, allowing for a better contextualisation of this crucial key region in pan-European archaeology.