Mediaeval city bordering Switzerland while sustaining Alpine dwellers - Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps 1363
What and Why
The prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps are a series of prehistoric stilt house settlements around the Alps built from about 5000 to 500 BCE on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. Archaeological excavations show evidence on the dwellers' prehistoric life and the way communities interacted with their environment during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages in Alpine Europe. These settlements are a unique group of exceptionally well-preserved and culturally rich archaeological sites, which constitute one of the most important sources for the study of early agrarian societies in the region. So this is a really old city!
Contrary to popular belief, these stilt houses were not erected over water, but on nearby marsh. They were set on piles to protect against occasional flooding. Because the lakes have grown in size over time, many of the original piles are now under water, giving the false impression that they have always been on water.
There are three sites that were discovered in Constance (German: Konstanz) as the area contains a huge lake for bountiful water supply for agriculture.
Toponymy
The city is originally named Constantia, which came from the Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus (Latin: Constantius Augustus), who fought the German tribe Alemanni in the region and built a strong fortress around 300 CE.
See
The sites
There are three main archaeological sites of these stilt houses and settlements, but unfortunately they could not be seen as they have either been ruined so badly or submerged deep under sea. There are some minor traces of stilts sticking out from the Lake Constance (Bodensee). These sites are all underwater (47°40′29.582″N9°7′13.32″E, 47°39′54.788″N9°11′38.65″E and 47°43′28.823″N9°10′44.23″E). The above picture is the second site along Mozartstraße.
The site shows a small piece of marsh in the middle.
Stilt House Museum (Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen)
The other way to see these alpine dwellers and their stilt houses is to visit the Stilt House Museum (Pfahlbaumuseum Unteruhldingen). The museum collected all the artefacts around the three main sites and recreated an archaeological open-air museum with reconstructions of stilt houses or lake dwellings from the Neolithic Stone Age and Bronze Age. The museum has been there since the early 20th century CE, as above.
Constance Minster (Konstanzer Münster)
The first mention of a church in Konstanz dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Aramaic: מרים, Maryam) was in early 7th century CE. The current Romanesque Constance Minster (Konstanzer Münster) was restored during the 11th century CE after it collapsed.
Schnetztor
The main city gate since the 14th century CE.
Imperia
Imperia is a trident-looking statue at the entrance of Lake Constance, commemorating the Council of Constance that took place there in the early 15th century CE. The statue shows a woman holding two naked men on her hands. The two men represent Pope Martin V (Latin: Martinus V, né Oddone Colonna) and Holy Roman Emperor (Latin: Imperator Romanorum) Sigismund (né Sigismund von Luxembourg). Both wear nothing except for the crown and papal tiara, respectively, as symbols of their power.
The statue refers to the story by Honoré de Balzac, La Belle Impéria. The story is a harsh satire of the Catholic clergy's morals, where Imperia seduces cardinals and princes at the Council of Constance and manipulates them. In actual fact the historical Imperia that served as the source material of Balzac's story was a well-educated Italian courtesan who died in the early 16th century CE, nearly 100 years after the council, and never visited Constance. Fake news since the 15th century CE!
Getting There and Around
UNESCO Inscription
This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. Excavations, only conducted in some of the sites, have yielded evidence that provides insight into life in prehistoric times during the Neolithic and Bronze Age in Alpine Europe and the way communities interacted with their environment. Fifty-six of the sites are located in Switzerland. The settlements are a unique group of exceptionally well-preserved and culturally rich archaeological sites, which constitute one of the most important sources for the study of early agrarian societies in the region.
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