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  Schweizersbild Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Schweizersbild Location in the canton of Schaffhausen Show map of Canton of Schaffhausen | |
| Location | Schaffhausen,Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 47°43′25.95″N8°38′23.67″E / 47.7238750°N 8.6399083°E /47.7238750; 8.6399083 |
| Type | Rock shelter |
| History | |
| Periods | Upper Paleolithic (Magdalenian) |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1891–1893 |
| Archaeologists | Jakob Nüesch |
Schweizersbild is arock shelter from thePaleolithic period, located in the municipality ofSchaffhausen inSwitzerland, at the foot of a southeast-facing cliff near a spring. Beneath the natural rock overhang, remains of a significantUpper Paleolithic (Magdalenian) habitation (camp) dating to approximately 15,000–12,700 BC were discovered.[1][2]
The site was discovered in 1891 byJakob Nüesch [de], who conductedarchaeological excavations there from 1891 to 1893. Beneath a gray archaeological layer containing remains from post-Paleolithic periods (includingNeolithic tombs)[3] were the habitation levels from the Upper Paleolithic. Below this, a layer containing rodent remains but practically no artifacts covered a bed of Ice Age pebbles.[1] Some of the smaller skeletons have initially been interpreted as the remains ofpygmies,[4] but they may rather represent shorter individuals.[5]
Thestratigraphy cannot be reconstructed with certainty. Lower down, a second layer of rodent debris also contained remains ofcollared lemming,Arctic fox,reindeer,wild horse,mountain hare, as well as arib fragment from awoolly rhinoceros. Above this, a yellow archaeological layer yielded primarily bones of reindeer, wild horse, mountain hare, andred deer. In this layer, ahearth and aflint knapping workshop were also observed.[1]
The artifacts uncovered by the excavators include several hundredtools made offlint (including shouldered points),bone, andantler (notably double-beveled spear points,harpoons,awls, perforated batons, needles, and ornaments).[1]
The Schweizersbild site is especially known for the pieces of Paleolithicmobiliary art discovered there, notably aslate plaquette engraved on both sides with animal figures and a perforated baton made of reindeer antler depicting two wild horses in a line.[6] The engravings are more stylized than those from objects found atKesslerloch, and executed with a more fluid line. A smalljet statuette representing a woman, found in 1954 in the spoil from Nüesch's excavation, is less well known.[1] The original is exhibited at theMuseum of Cultures (Basel).
This article incorporates text from afree content work. Licensed under CC-BY SA. Text taken fromSchweizersbild, Markus Höneisen, Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Translated by Laurent Auberson.
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