Prehistoric Pile Dwellings

Burgäschisee Ost, October 2023

The Burgäschisee Ost-site consists of a 75x40 meter (0.3 ha) piece of meadow on the south-eastern shore of tiny lake Burgäschi, a pleasant 20-minute walk away through the rolling hills of Swiss Mittelland from the eponymous village of Aeschi, from where very regular buses plow the route from Solothurn to Herzogenbuchsee – both hubs on the Swiss rail network (the reason for the different spelling of Aeschi vs. Burgäschi is not totally clear to me).

According to the Internet, the settlement was discovered in 1943 after a lowering of the lake level and excavated in 1944/45 with the help of interned prisoners of war. The first phase of the Burgäschisee Ost site is attributed to the Egolzwil culture, the main phase belonging to the classical Cortaillod period and dating to around 3830 BC. Further excavations were done in 2015-2017.

The site is unmarked, and there are certainly no visible remains of any settlement. Note that the lowering of the lake level explains why the site is now fully onshore.

On the photo, the core site is on the left side of the little road, bordering the lake; reeds and some small trees grow on the lakeshore, making access to the water from the core zone a bit difficult; there are openings, however, on both the southern and northern end a few meters outside the core perimeter.

Some 200 meters north of the core site is Restaurant Seeblick, along with a nice …

Maybe I am too bold to claim the ticking off the pile dwelling sites.

Last week (in October 2021), I visited Ljubljana and I went by the Slovenian components in the Marshland nearby Ljubljana. There is nothing special to see at the site, and I was too shy to force my colleagues to explore it more in detail. However, I visited the City Museum of Ljubljana in the city center, which is located in the buffer zone of the Plečnik´s WHS. There is one room dedicated to the pile dwellings and related archeological findings around Ljubljana and the focal piece of the room as well as the entire museum is "Wheel of global significance" (PHOTO), which is mentioned also in the nomination text.

Here is the text written on the banner:

"Wheel of global significance:

The wooden wheel with an axle, as many as 5,200 years old, is a special treasure of the world´s cultural heritage, both because of its age and its technological perfection. The wheel, possibly a part of a two-wheeled cart, is composed of two ash wood plates joined with four oak wood pins. Tha axle is made from one piece of oak wood, its rectangular ends fitting into the wheel hub. The selection of wood, the accommodation made for wood expansion and shrinking as well as the manner of fixing and joining suggested that the wheel was made by an expert who was knowledgeable about wood varieties.

The wheel with the …

My first visit to these prehistoric pile dwellings was Fiave and Molina di Ledro/Italy in 2011 (see my review below). And to say it right away, these are the best (or basically the only) sites to see original remains. Usually, all the remains are under water or in the bog, otherwise none of it would have survived for thousands of years. And often the sites are covered with geotextile and gravel to protect against erosion and mechanical damage. Thus you have to rely on the preserved finds in museums and on replicas of the dwellings and settlements to understand what this WHS is all about. However, the preservation conditions under oxygen exclusion are so good that organic material, food and textiles, has also been preserved. Therefore, a lot is known about the living conditions of these early agrarian communities.

Over the past ten years, I have visited several of the pile dwelling sites, mainly in the eastern part of the Alps. Here is my summary of what to expect from these sites.

My personal pile dwelling highlight was Olzreute-Enzisholz in Germany. In 2016, an archaeological excavation was carried out in Olzreute, which was also open to visitors. In Olzreute, the remains of the dwellings are half a metre deep in the peat bog, and visitors could watch the researchers uncovering the wooden floors and collapsed walls (photo). The work of the scientific laboratories was also demonstrated and explained on site: the determination of plant and bone remains, …

The day we visited Augsburg and Roseninsel might be the least impressive leg of my World Heritage Site hunting in Europe in 2019. Augsburg kept me wondering how the monuments ever made it to the list, and Roseninsel further left me inconclusive: Did I see the site properly? I am not sure if I managed to see some remains or not, but I was hoping and I wanted to believe that I somehow managed to sight even just a piece of it from the easternmost side of the island. The ferryman never failed to mention it and the signage around even mark the areas where the remains are supposed to lie (demarcated by the floaters in the vicinity). As far as ticking the site off, the island itself is already part of the core zone, in fact it is the heart of it! However, as far as being contented and having expectations met, it is entirely a different story.

If there was any consolation, however, lake Starnberg is truly marvelous. It is a place I would not mind returning to in the future. We were very lucky that day to have a nice weather, so Zugspitze and the other side of the lake were clearly visible. It was the second to the last day of the boat service to the island (as they close for the winter), and we went there at around 3pm. There were only about 7 of us on the boat, hence a lovely, non-hectic experience …

On the edge of Lake Constance, in the town of Unteruhldingen, experts have reconstructed a small community of these ancient pile dwellings. Although it is artificial in the sense that the structures are not original, everything has been put together exactly the way it would have been thousands of years ago. The museum is run by underwater archaeologists and cultural historians to ensure the accuracy of everything.

What is particularly interesting is the way the huts are displayed these days as interconnected. Although the construction is quite rudimentary, there is an advanced sense of community in the design. The dwellings are built in clusters and are connected with elevated walkways. There is even a protective wall built in the water around one of the groups of buildings to create a small protected harbour.

The museum has also incorporated exhibitions, displays and reconstructions within the dwellings to help illustrate the life of the original inhabitants. It is useful and informative but is a reminder that these structures are not strictly a historic site themselves, just representative of the ones that were once scattered all across this region and are now marked only by their underwater foundations.

Pile Dwellings Part II

Venice, Angkor, Yellowstone, Pasternacker prehistoric museum; hunting world heritage sites has taken me to some of the most spectacular places on earth, and also to Pestenacker prehistoric museum. It is an unfair comparison but they are all on the list together and I'm sure the local community at Pestenacker have immense pride in their world heritage certificate and so they should. The little museum (closed during our visit) is complemented by a slightly tired looking reconstruction of a pile dwelling. Next to this is a small stream which bisects the field under which the remains lay buried. There is precisely nothing of any note to see in the field, trust me we looked hard for any hint of rotten wood.

So after 5 minutes we were heading off across the road to see the second site listed outside this Bavarian hamlet.

[Site 0: Experience 5]

Pile Dwellings Part III

We find our protagonists strolling in the late afternoon sun across the road from the Pestenacker prehistoric museum

NS: "So on the map you printed out the WHS seems to be in the middle of those fields"

IC: "That must be it there, in those big agricultural looking sheds"

NS: "Maybe it is an archaeological dig"

IC: "Yeah it must be, perhaps we've accidentally hit the pile dwelling jackpot!"

NS: "Hmm... my sodden shoes would suggest otherwise"

IC: "Onwards then..."

NS: "I must admit it feels a little creepy, really like we shouldn't be here."

IC: "Is it the lack of signs and pathways, or in fact any tangible evidence of this not being a farm that make you think that."

NS: "Well these buildings could we reveal wondrous secrets"

Our protagonists walk around large shed like structure.

NS: "Erm..."

IC: "Well I don't think it is an archaeological dig."

NS: "Is that...? Is that a beach hut?"

IC: "Yep I think so, that would also explain the sand on the floor I guess."

NS: "I think that was once a swimming pool"

IC: "Where?"

NS: "Erm that sort of ditch in front of the beach hut."

IC: "Oh"

NS: "Erm..."

IC: "Have we stumbled into a derelict German rave?"

NS: "This discarded hat behind the bar would indicate yes."

IC: "And yep that must be the DJ booth."

NS: "Hmm."

Our protagonists stroll around the wooden shacks and weed …

One of the best places to experience this somewhat unusual site is the small German town of Unteruhldingen on Lake Constance, not far from Friedrichshafen and Konstanz. It features a well-known open-air museum with reconstructed pile dwellings and an interesting exhibition. Of course, the museum itself is not part of the WHs, but there is probably no other place where the mysterious, prehistoric world of pile dwellers is so graphically illustrated. And there is an actual WH location near the town's port, maybe a 5-minute walk from the museum. You can only see the plaque on the shore, as the pile dwellings are underwater and also covered by a canvas to protect them from damage caused by weather or boats. Still, it is good enough to tick off the site. Unteruhldingen is next to the famous flower island of Mainau, and can be easily reached by ferry from Meersburg.

On a trip to Zurich, I checked out the 2 sites on Lake Zurich in the city centre, but couldn't find any sign. I also went to Rapperswil on the southern end of the lake and tried to find the sites there, but only found general signage, not specific pointers (but the area seemed perfect for pile dwellings, especially along the footbridge connecting the town with the island of Hurden).

I visited this WHS in May 2014. I drove to Fiave’ in Trentino Alto Adige through mountain passes and winding roads. I was lucky to find perfect blue skies and sunny weather just a few days after snowfall, meaning that the mountain peaks were covered in snow. I was afraid that the pile dwelling remains were going to be underwater but this was not the case and I was very pleased. Set the GPS to the Hotel La Pineta which is just in front of the narrow unpaved road for pedestrians leading to the pile dwellings. The entrance is free and there are a few information boards give you a brief overview. In the town of Fiave’ there is the Pile Dwelling Museum which is worth visiting if you have some time. However, I very much prefer the Pfahlbaum Museum of Unteruhldigen near Lake Constance in Germany which is by far better and it also has replicas of pile dwellings next to the actual remains in Germany (now underwater!).

During a brief visit to Austria last year I managed to find a few more pile dwelling sites:

Attersee: On the lakefront at Seewaldchen there is a mock-up of a pile dwelling with descriptive signs. Opposite the railway station , beside the lake in Attersee village is a descriptive sign. At See am Mondsee there is a descriptive sign, and piles are visible beneath the water from the nearby bridge. I reached these sites by bus from Vocklabruck.

Keutschachersee: I found a descriptive sign at the eastern end of the lake, near the entrance to a recreation area. I caught a bus there from Klagenfurt.

I think these elusive Pile Dwellings secretly were the main goal for my December trip to Northern Italy. The Fiavè location seemed a sure bet to see “something”, and when I searched around for opening hours I found out that the Pile Dwelling museum in Fiavè opens up in winter too (2-6 p.m.). So I fitted this area into my full-day itinerary around the Italian Alps, which lead me to no less than 3 new WHS.

Fiavè is a town about half an hour south of Lake Molveno (with a Dolomites view). It lies in a valley and is nice enough in its own right because of the vernacular Alpine architecture. However, I went straight to the Pile Dwelling Museum, located in the town center. The museum is new (or revamped because of the WHS designation?) - see the 2nd small picture for what it looks like. I had expected a small village museum with some pots and information panels. This is a modern museum, however, with ample use of audiovisual presentations. The exhibition focuses on the story of the pile dwellers around Fiavè (not the broader context), on how the archeological research developed, how the people lived etc. Quite a lot of objects belonging to the pile dwellers were found locally, such as baskets and hats woven out of reed. The entrance fee is 3.5 EUR. The museum has friendly staff and is worth at least half an hour. Displays are both in Italian and English.

What …

In the early days of the Forum on this Web site we had some discussions on what constituted “seeing” or “visiting” a WHS. Our trip to one of the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings provided a “reductio ad absurdam” example of the very concept of a “WHS Visit”!

When planning our “grand tour” of Germany in Aug/Sep 2013 I checked the locations of Germany’s Pile Dwellings and discovered that one, titled “Blaustein-Ehrenstein”, was situated a few kms NW of Ulm. Our chosen direct route wasn’t far away and Ulm was, in any case, a German city I quite wanted to visit – so off we set! Now, in all honesty, we didn’t expect much – the excavations would certainly have been back-filled but a picture on the Blaustein town Web site appeared to show an open area http://www.blaustein.de/de/freizeit-tourismus/steinzeitdorf-ehrenstein.html

This was confirmed by the brochure about the site which contained other photos of digs from the 1960s

http://www.blaustein.de/fileadmin/Dateien/Dateien/Steinzeitdorf_Ehrenstein_2012.pdf.

So hopefully we would gain a general view of the site and would surely find an explanatory board and a plaque indicating the site’s “world significance”!

At this point it is perhaps worth placing “Blaustein-Ehrenstein” in context within the overall inscription. The AB evaluation indicates that there are 937 known “pit dwelling” sites across Europe - 156 of these were nominated but ICOMOS asked whether this could be reduced and 111 were inscribed . This reduction must have happened quite late on as the Nomination file still contains the full 156. However the …

Part 1 of my visit to these pile Dwellings was a pleasant boat trip to Rosen Insel on Lake Starnberg.

From the station at Possenhoffen it is a quiet 40 minute walk along the forested lake shore which to my surprise reacquainted me with a familiar friend from a few years back: The Pilgrimage Route to Santiago. I arrived at the pontoon just as another couple rang a bell which summoned over the boat from Rosen Insel. The short crossing gave the driver just enough time to tell us a little about the island and say the key words "UNESCO-Welterbe". A quick lap of the rose gardens led me to the vantage point where I stared intently at the water trying to spot the merest hint of some buried rotten wood. I think I may have seen some in the right place, but to be honest it may have just been any old bit of rotten wood.

After a short look around the one room museum showing some finds I marched back to the pontoon, studiously avoiding the Royal Casino that everyone else was on the island to tour around and happy that I didn't have to explain I had taken 3 hour trip by train, boat and on foot just to not see some rotten wood.

I walked back to the station, stopping off to have a glass of wine before catching a train to meet up with my friend to continue the next part of our Pile …

I knew that finding the locations of the WHS pile dwellings in a featureless wilderness like the Ljubljana Marsh would be difficult on my own. As anticipated there was no signed directions. I was fortunate to meet a local naturalist who knew the marshland well, and who took me to Ig to visit two sites.

I agree with Hubert that this site, like the German 'Limes' requires some imagination.

I also managed to find two locations in Italy, one by Lake Costa near Monselice, and another by Lake Frassino near Pescheria del Garda.

During a trip to the Dolomites, I took the opportunity to visit Molina di Ledro and Fiave. These sites are two of the rare places where original remains of the pile dwellings can be seen. In Molina di Ledro, at the shore of Lake Ledro, is a small museum and the reconstruction of a pile dwelling. From a footbridge you can see some piles in a small area near the shoreline. In Fiave, 35 km north of the Lake Ledro, is a small wetland with about 80-100 piles (photo). The site is one kilometre before Fiave on the left (coming from Lake Ledro). There is only a small signpost that can easily be overlooked. Both sites are located in a beautiful mountain landscape, but the remains themselves are not very impressive and do not tell much about what this WHS represents.

At least, I have seen my first pile dwellings and have an idea how the original remains look like. To learn more about it, one has to rely on museums and replications. In this respect, it reminds me of my experience with the Limes, the German part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire, where also only a few original remains are visible.

Certainly, the pile dwellings are the oddest WHS that I've visited so far. I will not count the WHS as visited and I'm uncertain when I can tick it off. But my first visit made me curious to learn more about it.