Châtel d'Arrufens

The late Bronze Age hilltop settlement Châtel d'Arruffens is located on the Châtel mountain near Montricher , northwest of Lausanne in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland . The terrain spur fortified by a still recognizable elevation is 1390  m above sea level. M. and was excavated by amateur archaeologists between 1966 and 1972 .

From the spur you have control of the route between the Swiss plateau and the French Jura . At the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age (between 1450 and 1200 BC) an almost 200 m long limestone wall was built at this location . This type of construction was first observed here in Switzerland. The temporary traces of settlement during the late Roman Empire are probably in the context of the threat at the time and testify to the visit of people from a higher social Romanized class.

Among the finds from both epochs, the broken pottery and crockery made of Lavez and glass stand out in terms of quantity. Otherwise objects made of bronze , iron , lead , silver and gold were found , including many coins.

literature

• Mireille David El-Biali: Défense et ostentation à Châtel d'Arrufens, Montricher (VD). In: Archeology of Switzerland 26 2003/4

Coordinates: 46 ° 37 '29 "  N , 6 ° 21' 18.1"  E ; CH1903:  517011  /  164295