Studien zur Pfahlbauforschung in Österreich

1864 was the first palafitte in Austria discovered in the Keutschacher See in Carinthia. The oldest palafitte up to now is situated on top of an underwater hill in the middle of the lake. Lots of pottery, coppercastspoons, stoneartefacts, animalbones as well as antlers have been found. The pottery is all lokal made and belongs to the Kanzianiberg-Lasinja-group of the Epilengyel-Komplex. The pottery can be divided in an older ensemble, which shows "Formstich"- and linear lines decoration and a jounger ensemble with curved lines and "Kreuzschraffur" decoration. Connecting decoration and form elements between these two types are existing too. So we have a continous evolution in the palafitte. The pottery shows influences from the east and the southeast, the Epilengyel- Komplex and the Lasinja-culture. Coppercastspoons and copper dross found in the area of the palafitte are the oldest known proof of copper processing in Carinthia. Burned clay verifies a burning in the palafitte. We do not know if this is the end of the palafitte. The most animal bones (70%) are from wild animals. The most hunted animal was the deer. Domestic animals are represented only with 30%. The cattles from Keutschacher See descended from a little mediterranian cattle race. The piles were measured and pices of them were taken for dendrochronological examination. The felling dates of two piles with wood edge are: 3947 resp. 3871 B.C. C14 dates of piles give an approximate timespan from 4100 to 3700 B.C. So we can place the palafitte exactly in the Kanzianiberg-Lasinja-group in the Aeneolithic.