Valleys, Pastures, and Passes: New Research Issues from the Swiss Central Alps
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Preistoria Alpina, 47 (2013): 39-47 ISSN 0393-015739 © Museo delle Scienze, Trento 2013 Atti Seminario 2012: “Analisi Tecno-Funzionale dei manufatti litici preistorici: teoria, metodologia, tecniche sperimentali” Valleys, Pastures, and Passes: New Research Issues from the Swiss Central Alps Philippe DELLA CASA1*, Leandra NAEF1 & Thomas REITMAIER2 1 University of Zurich, Dept. of Pre- and Protohistory, Institute of History Karl-Schmid-Str. 4, CH-8006 Zurich, Switzerland 2 Archaeological Service of the Canton of Grisons, Loëstrasse 26, CH-7001 Chur, Switzerland * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] SUMMARY - Valleys, Pastures, and Passes: New Research Issues from the Swiss Central Alps - A number of recent archaeological sur- vey and excavation projects in the Swiss Central Alps (St. Gotthard area, Ticino valley, Engadine, Silvretta massif) shed new light on the environmental, social and economic dynamics of early Alpine colonisation. Specific topics addressed in this paper are human impact on the environment as derived form palaeoecological datasets, geography of settlements and transit routes, specific forms of social organisa- tion, evidences of Alpine pasture use and economy, as well as new issues relating to global warming and the rapid loss of ice patches with archaeological potential in high altitudes. RIASSUNTO - Valli, pascoli e passi: nuovi temi di ricerca della Alpi centrali svizzere - Recenti ricerche nelle Alpi centrali svizzere (area del S. Gottardo, valle del Ticino, Engadina e massiccio della Silvretta) effettuate attraverso sia prospezioni di superficie che attività di sca- vo, hanno permesso l’acquisizione di nuovi dati sulle dinamiche economiche, sociali e ambientali relative alla più antica colonizzazione delle Alpi. In questo lavoro, ad esempio, verranno affrontati temi come l’impatto umano sull’ambiente in base ai dati paleoecologici, ge- ografia degli insediamenti e rotte di transito, specifiche forme di organizzazione sociale, evidenze di paastoralismo alpino; inoltre saranno discussi anche nuovi argomenti relativi al riscaldamento globale e la rapida diminuzione di copertuta glaciale con le sue conseguenze sulla ricerca archeologica ad alte quote. Parole chiave: Settlement topography, Social organisation, Trans-alpine contact, Prehistoric pastoralism, Swiss Alps, Glacial archaeology Keywords: Topografia degli insediamenti, organizzazione sociale, contatti transalpini, pastoralismo preistorico, Alpi svizzere, archeologia glaciale 1. INTRODUCTION be revealed from a socio-archaeological perspective. From a settlement-geographical point of view, such coherences This article is aimed at providing a synthetic out- can be illustrated particularly well using the location of line of the current research situation in the southern and settlements and necropoles with reference to the proven or eastern Swiss Central Alps during the Metal Ages. It refers presumed road network in the Alpine valleys and across the to a series of scientific studies that were developed during passes (Carlevaro 2012) (Fig. 1). recent years within the framework of research and coopera- Indications have been repeatedly and justifiably tion projects at the University of Zurich in the fields of set- made which refer to the situation of cemeteries - which in tlement, burial and economic archaeology. The main focus the absence of settlements are often the best indicators - was on the coherences of settlement topography and geo- along the valley flanks, on screes and on the terraces of the graphic nature, as well as on questions regarding the social main passage valleys. Characteristic examples thereof are and economic forms of organisation of Alpine populations Gudo, Arbedo (TI), Castenada, Mesocco (GR) as well as in the context of the 3rd to the 1st millennium B.C. Osco and Dalpe (TI) in the Leventina. Other places - also to be seen as a recurring phenomenon in the Central Alps (Della Casa 2007) - occupy naturally fortified strategic lo- 2. THE VALLEYS OF THE SOUTHERN ALPS cations such as hilltops and valley walls that served as me- ans of territorial control. For example, one of these is the Ancient written sources allocate the Leponti, Orobi station in Airolo-Madrano which was recently discovered and Insubres to the Ticino and the areas to the south and in 2002 (Della Casa et al. 2009), combining elements fa- west, and the Uberi, Seduni and Veragri to the Valaisan vourable for settlements and transport network. Rhone Valley - they are all Celtic tribes which have a more or less corresponding material culture. In thematic order, 2. 1. Settlements the following chapters shall discuss new settlement finds, new surveys of cemeteries and also evidence for transal- As already indicated, the settlement finds on the survey pine contacts and relationships - initially with a focus on opposite the grave finds are clearly underrepresented, which is the Iron Age. Structural peculiarities and coherences shall why our possiblities for insights to settlement structures and 40 Della casa et al. New Research Issues from the Swiss Central Alps Fig. 2 - Prehistoric settlement mound in Airolo-Madrano (TI), Le- ventina, CH (Photo: Ph. Della Casa). Fig. 2 - Insediamento preistorico in Airolo-Madrano (TI), Leven- tina, CH (Foto: Ph. Della Casa). people from the Golasecca area (Tori 2012). The multi-phase prehistoric settlement in Madrano- In Grop is situated in a protected position above the bottom of the valley in Airolo - where the valley wall of Stalvedro dominates the southern entrance resp. exit of the St. Got- thard pass route (Della Casa et al. 2009) (Fig. 2). Until now, this central Alpine pass - except for the discussion of the finds in Amsteg-Flüeli in the Reuss valley, Canton of Uri Fig. 1 - Find sites from the early and late Iron Age (the majority - had received little attention in archaeological research, are grave finds) along the Alpine valleys of the Canton of Ticino not least due to a lack of relevant finds. The excavations (cf. Carlevaro 2012). in 2003-06 in Madrano and the subsequent archaeological Fig. 1 - Distribuzione dei siti dell‘età del Ferro (in maggioranza survey in the area between Hospenthal (UR), the top of the tombe) lungo le valli alpini del Canton Ticino (cf. Carlevaro 2012). Gotthard pass and Giornico (TI) now provide evidence of a - if not continuous, then repeated - settlement of this Cen- tral Alpine region between the end of the early Bronze Age economic manners are still quite limited. It is however pos- and the Latène period (Hess et al. 2010). sible to give a fairly good outline of the human influence on In Madrano, two settlement phases are traceable ac- the landscape via indirect and vegetational historic evidence cording to carbon-14 dating results and finds: one in the (Conedera & Tinner 2000). Recent surveys now demonstra- period from 1650-1150 and another in the 3rd/2nd century te that a human impact can be estimated during the Neolithic B.C. Based on the numerous botanical macroremains, there period, and that the Bronze Age clearly appears to be an in- is no doubt about the agro-pastoral orientation of this val- tensive settlement phase (Vescovi et al. in: Della Casa et al., ley settlement (Della Casa et al. 2009). In the surrounding in prep.). Furthermore, it also becomes apparent that a strong Alpine regions, for example in Buco di Pontino at 2000 agricultural land development took place from approx. the 7th m.a.s.l. above Airolo, at Lago di Tom, or on the Alpe di century B.C. - a fact that corresponds well with the chronology Rodont immediately next to the Gotthard route, there is a of archaeological finds which, after an actual discontinuation series of places that are seasonally used for Alpine farming at the end of the Bronze Age in the 10th to the 8th century, whose more or less contemporaneous occupancy phases once again set in during the early Iron Age. during the Bronze and Iron Ages have been documented. The best-studied example of an Iron Age alpine It mainly concerns protective situations or dwelling places settlement is without doubt the village of Gamsen-Waldmatte on promontories which are often located in the region of near Brig in the Canton of Valais (Curdy et al. 1993) which mediaevally or contemporarily used Alpine pastures (Fig. was researched in the course of motorway excavations on 3), and thus indicate a certain continuity of use of the sites. one of the extended screes at the edge of the valley. Located The only evidence of an Iron Age settlement with an at the stretch of the road towards the Simplon and Furka accompanying cemetery is located on the terrace of Casta- passes, it is a small scattered settlement with an agrarian neda (GR). The occupancy here lasted from the period Ti- and mercantile orientation that is characterised by a long cino B until Latène C, i.e. approximately from the 6th until occupancy lasting to the Roman Imperial Era. Commerce the 2nd century B.C. (Nagy 2012). A comprehensive and and trade were most probably an important secondary rich amount of finds especially derive from the grave go- branch of the economy in Gamsen during the Iron Age. It ods - amongst other things, personal adornments and metal is particularly manifested by the numerous finds of non- vessels give impressive indications of large-scale contacts local provenance, i.e. many elements of female and male and the material abundance of the population which resided costumes (especially fibulae) which indicate a presence of next to the San Bernardino route. Preistoria Alpina, 47 (2013): 39-47 41 Fig. 3 - Buco di Pontino (TI), soundings including evidences of prehistoric dwelling places within a mediaevally/contemporarily used cattle pen (cf. Hess et al. 2010). Fig. 3 - Buco di Pontino (TI), evidenze di insediamenti preistorici all‘interno di una stalla medievale/attuale (cf. Hess et al. 2010). 2. 2. Cemeteries Gudo (Sormani 2010) and Giubiasco (Pernet et al. 2006; Tori et al. 2010), but also to the smaller complexes of Me- The larger research projects during recent years socco (Schmid-Sikimic 2002), Minusio as well as Osco and regarding the so-called „Ticino cemeteries“ are all com- Dalpe (Della Casa et al., in prep.).