Swiss Neolithic wetland sites offer an incomparable source of information for prehistoric dwellings. The exceptional preservation of organic materials such as animal bones, antler and plant remains allow exceptional insights into Neolithic life. The preserved wooden posts of the houses make an exact dating of the sites as well as the reconstruction of the settlement evolution possible. The lake-dwelling of Sutz-Lattrigen, situated at the southern shore of Lake Bienne (Switzerland), provided a rich Neolithic sequence. The archaeological layers presented here correspond to an occupation during 3’800 to 3100 BC (Cortaillod and Horgen culture).
Within an archaeozoological project around 25’000 bone remains were identified with the aim of reconstructing subsistence practices and environmental conditions. Comparing these results with that of other settlements at Lake Bienne, chronological and geographical variation of economy and ecology of hunters and herders of the 4th millennium BC can be reconstructed, and the species spectrum indicates a broad exploitation of domestic and wild species. Multiple factors such as topography, climatic or weather conditions have played a role in the socio-economic systems.