Archaeologists have completed a major study of an early medieval village and 122 burials discovered near Bern, Switzerland. Dating from the sixth to ninth centuries, the site offers rare evidence of how people lived, worked and buried their dead during the Early Middle Ages.
The discoveries were made at Niederwangen, near the western town of Köniz, during excavations carried out between 1998 and 2012. The Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern has now published the results of the scientific investigation.
The site is particularly significant because archaeologists found both a settlement and its associated burial grounds. Residential areas, workshops and cemeteries were situated close together, providing an unusual opportunity to study an early medieval community.
Two burial grounds contained 122 inhumations dating from the sixth to ninth centuries. Most belonged to men, children and adolescents, with comparatively few women represented.
Some of the graves were placed within the ruins of a Roman-era building. Several of the deceased were buried wearing richly decorated belt buckles typical of the period. These include finely ornamented examples featuring crosses that researchers interpret as Christian symbols.
Only a small portion of the nearby settlement has been excavated, but archaeologists identified several small wooden houses from the postholes that remained in the ground.
The settlement probably continued beyond AD 900. A lime kiln dating from the High Middle Ages suggests that the community later shifted location and eventually developed into the village of Niederwangen.
The discoveries also indicate that people may have lived continuously at Niederwangen since Roman times, while archaeological evidence from the area extends as far back as the Bronze Age.
The findings are particularly important because early medieval villages are much less commonly discovered in the Bern region than cemeteries. Everyday objects such as pottery, which can help archaeologists identify settlements, are often scarce at sites from this period.
Written sources for the region before the founding of Bern in 1191 are also limited. The Niederwangen settlement therefore provides archaeological evidence for communities living around Bern centuries before the medieval city emerged.
The findings are detailed in a new 251-page study led by archaeologist Christiane Kissling, Niederwangen im 1. Jahrtausend. Römerzeitliche und mittelalterliche Siedlungsreste und Bestattungen. Published by the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, the book includes 184 illustrations and brings together the results of the excavations and subsequent research. To order a copy of the book, please email [email protected]
Archaeologists have completed a major study of an early medieval village and 122 burials discovered near Bern, Switzerland. Dating from the sixth to ninth centuries, the site offers rare evidence of how people lived, worked and buried their dead during the Early Middle Ages.
The discoveries were made at Niederwangen, near the western town of Köniz, during excavations carried out between 1998 and 2012. The Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern has now published the results of the scientific investigation.
The site is particularly significant because archaeologists found both a settlement and its associated burial grounds. Residential areas, workshops and cemeteries were situated close together, providing an unusual opportunity to study an early medieval community.
122 early medieval burials
Two burial grounds contained 122 inhumations dating from the sixth to ninth centuries. Most belonged to men, children and adolescents, with comparatively few women represented.
Some of the graves were placed within the ruins of a Roman-era building. Several of the deceased were buried wearing richly decorated belt buckles typical of the period. These include finely ornamented examples featuring crosses that researchers interpret as Christian symbols.
Only a small portion of the nearby settlement has been excavated, but archaeologists identified several small wooden houses from the postholes that remained in the ground.
The settlement probably continued beyond AD 900. A lime kiln dating from the High Middle Ages suggests that the community later shifted location and eventually developed into the village of Niederwangen.
The discoveries also indicate that people may have lived continuously at Niederwangen since Roman times, while archaeological evidence from the area extends as far back as the Bronze Age.
Filling a gap in Bern’s history
The findings are particularly important because early medieval villages are much less commonly discovered in the Bern region than cemeteries. Everyday objects such as pottery, which can help archaeologists identify settlements, are often scarce at sites from this period.
Written sources for the region before the founding of Bern in 1191 are also limited. The Niederwangen settlement therefore provides archaeological evidence for communities living around Bern centuries before the medieval city emerged.
The findings are detailed in a new 251-page study led by archaeologist Christiane Kissling, Niederwangen im 1. Jahrtausend. Römerzeitliche und mittelalterliche Siedlungsreste und Bestattungen. Published by the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, the book includes 184 illustrations and brings together the results of the excavations and subsequent research. To order a copy of the book, please email [email protected]
Top Image: Part of the cemetery was excavated before the renovation of a farmhouse on Stegenweg. Photograph taken in 1998. © Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, Alex Ueltschi.
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