Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps

The Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps is a world heritage site in the Alpine countries. The site is made up of 111 components (approximately half of them in Switzerland), making it one of the most dispersed world heritage sites.

In the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, from around 5000 to 500 B.C., people in the Alpine countries lived in pile dwellings, or houses built on stilts. They were not always erected above bodies of water, but over marshland, some of which has now turned into lakes (matter of fact, some of the dwellings are nowadays entirely under water). Archaeological excavations and studies at these sites have provided great insights into the early agrarian societies in the region.

• Prehistoric Europe