The Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps are the remains of prehistoric settlements in the lakes and moors around the Alps. World Heritage Site Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps consists of 111 locations spread over 6 countries around the Alps - Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland - of which 56 are located in Switzerland. The pile dwellings are also called stilt houses or palafittes. The Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps were built between 5000 and 500 BC. The remains of the prehistoric pile dwellings provide a lively insight into the lives of early agricultural societies and the development of ancient farming techniques in the Alpine region. Due to the rising water level most of the remains of the prehistoric pile dwellings are not visible, today they only can be found underwater. The Pile Dwelling Museums houses collections of objects found by archaeologists during their research. The objects mainly include pottery and tools. These objects fell into the lakes during Prehistoric daily life or when a wooden pile dwellings collapsed over the course of time. Some locations of the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps: The Islet of Virginia near the town of Varese in Italy, the Attersee Lake and Mondsee Lake in Austria and in the town of Unteruhldingen (photo below) on Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Germany. The Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps gained the status as a UNESCO World Heritage in 2011. World Heritage Art: Palafitte
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Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps: This reconstructed pile dwelling can be seen in the Pfahlbaumuseum in Unteruhldingen on the shores of the Bodensee, Lake Constance, situated on the border between Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Unteruhldingen is a location of the UNESCO World Heritage Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps. The World Heritage consists of 111 locations spread over six countries around the Alps. The pile dwellings are the remains of prehistoric settlements in the lakes and moors around the Alps, dating from 4000 BC to 850 BC.