Prehistoric Pile Dwellings in the Ljubljansko Barje

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Prehistoric Pile Dwellings in the Ljubljansko Barje

Just south of Ljubljana lies the Ljubljansko Barje (Ljubljana Moors), an idyllic, mostly flat landscape comprised of meadows, fields, woodlands and numerous ditches. Besides harbouring a rich and unique ecosystem, the plain is highly important for dozens of its archaeological sites of prehistoric pile-dwellings. These are, basically, wooden settlements, built on piles driven into the marsh ground or lake bed. The oldest such dwelling dates back to the Mesolithic (around 5,000 B.C.) and the youngest to around 1,000 B.C. More than 40 such sites have been identified from 1875 onwards, with the last one discovered as late as in 2009.

Two of these sites feature as the first Slovenian cultural entry into the UNESCO World Heritage List. They joined the transnational heritage site "Prehistoric Pile-Dwellings in the Alpine Area", which comprises a selection of 111 archaeological sites in six countries around the Alps (Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia).

Prehistoric Pile-Dwellings in the Alpine Area

A selection of the most important archaeological sites that relate to Prehistoric Pile-Dwellings in six countries around the Alps has been enlisted together into the Unesco's World Heritage list in 2010. They were chosen for extraordinary universal value and the contribution to the knowledge of prehistoric pile-dwelling civilisations, which existed in the region from 5000 to 500 BC. Their archaeological remains were found mostly on lake banks, under the water, along marshes and rivers. These findings give a clear and detailed presentation of the world, life and inventions of the original farmers in Europe, who have left us written sources behind them.

As the findings were sunk in the ground that were constantly wet - and as such low on oxygen - wooden structures, food remains, wooden tools and even clothes remained excellently preserved, and as such enable an in-depth insight in the life of those times.

Pile-dwellings and moor settlements from the prehistoric period are a special phenomenon typical of Alpine lands. Nowhere else in the world is the development of settlement communities from the Neolithic and Metal Ages so clearly visible, enabling extremely thorough research along a vast geographical region.

Archaeological findings at the Ljubljana moor

Since the first pile dwellings were discovered in 1875, the specific findings – more than 10,000 artefacts from different historical periods – are mostly kept by the City Museum of Ljubljana, the National Museum of Slovenia and also abroad.

Amongst the more important finds is the world’s oldest wooden wheel and its axle, dating approximately between 3,350 and 3,100 B.C. There was also found a canoe and objects up to 6,500 years old. The findings in the Ljubljansko Barje are one of the most significant archaeological sites in both Slovenia and provide an inexhaustible archaeological source in the mosaic of Slovenian, but also common human memory.

See also

• National Museum of Slovenia
• City Museum of Ljubljana

External links

• Article "Pile-dwellings in the Ljubljansko Barje on the UNESCO World Heritage List" on Slovenia.si
• Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps website
• Brochure about the Pile Dwellers of the Ljubljansko barje