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Technikum

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	Rapperswil, Rapperswil-Jona, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Part of	Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps
Criteria	Cultural: (iv), (v)
Reference	1363-032
Inscription	2011 (35th Session)
Area	0.92 ha (2.3 acres)
Buffer zone	49.1 ha (121 acres)
Website	www.palafittes.org/en/index.html
Coordinates	47°13′14.22″N 8°48′56.55″E / 47.2206167°N 8.8157083°E / 47.2206167; 8.8157083
Location of Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum in Canton of St. GallenShow map of Canton of St. GallenRapperswil-Jona–Technikum (Switzerland)Show map of Switzerland

Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, of which are 56 located in Switzerland. It is a small former island in the upper Lake Zürich in Rapperswil, a locality of the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona in the Canton of St. Gallen.

Geography

The former island is located south of the former Technicum university in Rapperswil and not far away from the prehistoric lake crossings. Because the lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around 3 metres (10 ft) under the water level of 406 metres (1,332 ft). The site comprises 0.92 hectares (2.27 acres) and the buffer zone comprises 49.1 hectares (121.33 acres).

Description

Multiple palisades and a clear visible settlement structure characterise the Early Bronze Age site dated in the 17th century BC. It points to the same period as the early footbridges between Rapperswil and Hurden-Rosshorn. The settlement was certainly of great importance as the centre of the region, and it may even have played a role in controlling this important transport route.

Finds

The finds include ceramic and dress pins, daggers, arrowheads, and fish hooks made of bronze, which were probably thrown as offerings into the lake. The individual finds are varied, including pottery shards, an almost completely preserved decorated ceramic vessel, a stone and a bronze ax and a piece of a gold wire; a rare golden object yet discovered from the Bronze Age in Switzerland. As remarkable is a mold made of soapstone for razor of the so-called alpine type. Such blades have been found in the Alpine region, where the soapstone comes from, so the settlement probably served as a hub for the trade with the Alpine passes.

Protection

As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, the settlement is also listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a Class A object of national importance. Hence, the area of each settlement is provided as a historical site under federal protection, within the meaning of the Swiss Federal Act on the nature and cultural heritage (German: Bundesgesetz über den Natur- und Heimatschutz NHG) of 1 July 1966. Unauthorised researching and purposeful gathering of findings represent a criminal offense according to Art. 24.

See also

• Prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee

Literature

• Peter J. Suter, Helmut Schlichtherle et al.: Pfahlbauten – Palafittes – Palafitte. Palafittes, Biel 2009. ISBN 978-3-906140-84-1.
• Beat Eberschweiler: Ur- und frühgeschichtliche Verkehrswege über den Zürichsee: Erste Ergebnisse aus den Taucharchäologischen Untersuchungen beim Seedamm. In: Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz, Volume 96, Schwyz 2004.

References

1. "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings in Switzerland". Swiss Coordination Group UNESCO Palafittes (palafittes.org). Archived from the original on 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
2. "World Heritage". palafittes.org. Archived from the original on 2014-12-09. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
3. "Sites Switzerland: Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum (CH-SG-02)". palafittes.org. Archived from the original on 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
4. Der See erzählt, touring exhibition at Stadthaus Rapperswil, 24 January 2011
5. "Unterwasserarchäologie" (in German). Hochbaudepartement Stadt Zürich. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
6. "Schweizerisches Inventar der Kulturgüter von nationaler Bedeutung: Kanton St. Gallen, A-Objekte" (PDF) (in German). bevoelkerungsschutz.admin.ch. 2015-01-01. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-12-19. Retrieved 2015-09-14.
7. "Bundesgesetz über den Natur- und Heimatschutz (NHG)" (PDF) (in German). Hochbaudepartement Stadt Zürich. 2014-10-12. Retrieved 2015-08-21.
8. Beat Eberschweiler (2004). "Ur- und frühgeschichtliche Verkehrswege über den Zürichsee: Erste Ergebnisse aus den Taucharchäologischen Untersuchungen beim Seedamm" (in German). ETH Bibliothek. Retrieved 2014-12-08.

External links

• Technikum at the official website palafittes.org

v t e Prehistoric pile dwellings in Switzerland
Espace Mittelland	Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld Rapperswil-Jona/Hombrechtikon–Feldbach Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum Erlenbach–Winkel Greifensee–Storen/Wildsberg Meilen–Rorenhaab Wädenswil–Vorder Au Wetzikon-Robenhausen Wauwilermoos Zürich–Enge Alpenquai Zürich–Grosser Hafner Zürich–Kleiner Hafner
Nationwide	Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps
Shared with Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia

v t e Lake Zurich (Zürichsee)
Switzerland Canton of Zürich Horgen Meilen Zürich Canton of St. Gallen See-Gaster Canton of Schwyz Höfe March
Settlements	Altendorf Au Bäch Erlenbach Feldbach Feldmeilen Freienbach Herrliberg Horgen Hurden Kehlhof Kilchberg Küsnacht Lachen Männedorf Meilen Oberrieden Pfäffikon Rapperswil-Jona Bollingen Busskirch Rapperswil Jona Kempraten Richterswil Rüschlikon Schmerikon Stäfa Thalwil Tuggen Uerikon Uetikon Wädenswil Wangen Nuolen Zollikon Zurich Altstadt Enge Seefeld Wollishofen Archeological Centum Prata Pile Dwellings Enge Alpenquai Feldbach Hurden Seefeld Kleiner Hafner Rorenhaab Rosshorn Technikum Vorder Au Winkel Turicum
Islands	Au Peninsula Bauschänzli Grosser Hafner Hurden Peninsula Lützelau Saffa Ufenau
Rivers	Jona Limmat Linth Schmerikoner Aa Sihl Steinenbach Wägitaler Aa
Valleys	Küsnachter Tobel Limmattal Sihltal
Mountains	Adlisberg Albis Buechberg Etzel Pfannenstiel Uetliberg Zimmerberg Zürichberg
Landmarks	Felsenegg Frauenwinkel Ganymed statue Goldküste Hurden canal Lindenhof (Rapperswil) Obersee Quaibrücke Rapperswil–Hurden bridge Seedamm Zürichhorn Buildings Alt Rapperswil Castle Alt Wädenswil Castle Au Castle Bollingen Tower Grynau Castle Heilig Hüsli Pavillon Le Corbusier Pfäffikon Castle Rapperswil Castle Saint John's parish church Wulp Castle Wurmsbach Abbey Parks/Resorts Frauenbad Stadthausquai Zürich Quaianlagen Arboretum Belvoir Park Bürkliplatz Chinagarten Mythenquai Sechseläutenplatz Tiefenbrunnen Utoquai
Transportation	Forchbahn Horgen–Meilen ferry LAF cable car St. Gallen S-Bahn SZU VBZ Voralpen Express VZO Zimmerberg Bus ZSG shipping lines Zürich S-Bahn ZVV VBZ tram lines 2 4 5 8 9 11 15 Lake Zurich left-bank railway line S2 S8 S24 S25 Lake Zurich right-bank railway line S6 S7 S16 S20 Rapperswil–Pfäffikon railway line S5 S40 Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke railway line S4 S6 S17 Railway stations Altendorf Au ZH Bäch Blumenau Bollingen Erlenbach ZH Feldbach Freienbach SBB Herrliberg-Feldmeilen Horgen Hurden Kempraten Kilchberg Küsnacht Goldbach Küsnacht ZH Lachen Männedorf Meilen Oberrieden Pfäffikon SZ Rapperswil Richterswil Rüschlikon Schmerikon Stäfa Thalwil Uerikon Uetikon Wädenswil Winkel am Zürichsee Zollikon Zürich Stadelhofen Zürich Tiefenbrunnen Zürich Wollishofen
People	Gerold Späth House of Rapperswil Elisabeth Johann I Johann II Lydia Escher Rudolf Brun Media Obersee Nachrichten Radio Zürisee Zürichsee-Zeitung

• Prehistoric pile dwellings in Switzerland
• Rapperswil-Jona
• Lake Zurich
• Cultural property of national significance in the canton of St. Gallen