CH-ZG-05

Aerial photo of the 2008 excavation, at a depth of 5 meters. In the background is the Lake Zugersee © Flying Kamera, B. Krähenbühl

  Zug  |     Riedmatt

Short Description
Construction work carried out here in 2006 unexpectedly brought to light the remains of a lake dwelling settlement at a depth of more than 5 m. A small area of 64 m2 in size was subsequently excavated. Most of the site remains untouched beneath the modern-day buildings. A thick layer of river and lake deposits as well as the site’s location below groundwater level resulted in the excellent preservation of the archaeological layers.
Some of them measured up to 1.4 m in thickness and dated from several phases of the Horgen period. Analysis of the scientific samples highlighted a complex array of processes which led to the archaeological contexts encountered during the excavation.

Neolithic

between approx. 3200 and 3000 B.C.

near to Lake Zugersee

412 m.a.s.l.

Size of the site 0,28 ha / approx. 1 big supermarket

Size of the bufferzone 2,61 ha / approx. 4 soccer pitches

Special Features & Highlights
With the application of micro-morphological techniques, and a multi-disciplinary approach, the analysis yielded detailed insights into the human activities in this pile dwelling settlement,down tothe seasons of a single year.

Copper Axe head, reminiscent of finds in Italy, as well as the axe that “Ötzi the Ice Man” carried, made of metal from Tuscan © Amt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie Zug

Pile Dwellings up close
The site has been built over. However, an information board points out the site and explains its special features.

Selected finds are exhibited in the Museum für Urgeschichte(n).

Museum für Urgeschichte(n) Zug
Hofstrasse 15, 6300 Zug
T +41 (0)41 728 28 80
info.urgeschichte@zg.ch

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 2 – 5 pm