Dates
The Horgen culture started around 3500/3400 cal BC and lasted until 2850 cal BC. Tree ring dates range from 3370 – 2864 BC. [1]
| Geographical range | Southern Germany and Switzerland near Lake Constance, Rhine river basin. |
|---|---|
| Period | Later Neolithic, Chalcolithic |
| Dates | 3,500–2,850 BC |
| Characteristics | simple pottery, well-developed stone tools, lake shore settlements |
| Preceded by | Pfyn culture, Cortaillod culture |
| Followed by | Corded Ware culture, Bell Beaker culture |
The Horgen culture is one of several archaeological cultures belonging to the Neolithic period of Switzerland. The Horgen culture may derive from the Pfyn culture and early Horgen pottery is similar to the earlier Cortaillod culture pottery of Twann, Switzerland. [1] It is named for one of the principal sites, in Horgen, Switzerland.
The Horgen culture started around 3500/3400 cal BC and lasted until 2850 cal BC. Tree ring dates range from 3370 – 2864 BC. [1]
The Horgen core area is in Northern Switzerland and Southwest Germany near Lake Constance, but it may have reached farther north along the Rhine River. [1] It may have had ties to the French Seine-Oise-Marne culture. [2] Sites include Horgen, Hauterive-Champréves, Eschenz, and Zürich.
At Feldmeilen-Vorderfeld and Meilen on the right bank of Lake Zurich near Zürich, four layers of Pfyn culture artifacts (4350-3950 BC calibrated) are followed by five Horgen culture (3350-2950 BC) layers were found at Feldmeilen. In nearby Meilen, one Pfyn layer (4250-4000 BC) followed by three Horgen (3300-2500 BC) layers were discovered. [3]
There were three phases of pottery; early, middle, and late. The early pottery exhibits an affinity with the Pfyn and maybe the Cortaillod at Twann, Switzerland. The spindle whorls on the pottery may indicate connections to the southern Funnelbeaker culture and early Baden culture. The middle phase (found at Naschdorf-Strandbad, Lake Constance and Dullenried, Federsee) may be influenced by more westerly traditions. The final Horgen phase exhibits similarities to the Burgerroth, Wartberg, and Goldberg III cultures. [1]
The pottery was less refined and decorated than the earlier Cortaillod culture. However, the flint industry was well developed and produced elegant stone tools. [2]
Pigs became increasingly important during the Horgen era. Pig bones were the most common bones found in the village midden heaps, accounting for up to 70% of all bones. [4]
The Horgen culture practiced copper smelting to a limited extent, though copper finds are rare and evidence of processing is sporadic. [5] Ötzi the iceman, who was found with a copper axe, also had stone tools of Horgen culture type. [6]
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or Zürichsee can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Seedamm at Rapperswil, whilst the part upstream of Rapperswil may be called the Obersee or Upper Lake.
Meilen is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
Horgen is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
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The Cortaillod culture is one of several archaeologically defined cultures belonging to the Neolithic period of Switzerland. The Cortaillod Culture in the west of the region is contemporary with the Pfyn Culture in the east and dates from between 3900-3500 BC. The Classic Cortaillod culture of the western Alpine foreland and the Early Cortaillod culture of central Switzerland pre-date this at 4300-3900 BC.
The Au Peninsula is located on the Swiss Zürichsee lake shore in the municipality of Au, Canton of Zürich.
Feldmeilen is a village (Wacht) within the municipality of Meilen in the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
Twann-Tüscherz or Douanne-Daucher in French is a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of Tüscherz-Alfermée and Twann merged into the municipality of Twann-Tüscherz.
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Sechseläutenplatz is the largest town square situated in Zürich, Switzerland. Its name derives from the Sechseläuten, which is celebrated on the square in April.
Kleiner Hafner is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Grossner Hafner is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
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Greifensee–Storen–Wildsberg is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Meilen–Rorenhaab is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, of which 56 are located in Switzerland.
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During the late Neolithic Horgen Culture (approx. 3300-2800 BC), copper fnds are rare in eastern and central Switzerland, and evidence of processing is only sporadically established.
