Neolithic occupations (c. 5200-3400 cal BC) at Isolino Virginia (Lake Varese, Italy) and the onset of the pile-dwelling phenomenon around the Alps

Abstract

Neolithic pile dwelling sites are known particularly well North of the Alps, with a boom starting from ca. 4300 cal BC. These sites are famous for the excellent preservation conditions of organic material (wooden tools, textiles, fruit remains and foodstuffs have been preserved in many of them), but their origin is still unclear. In Europe, only three reliably-dated settlements of this type are documented in the Early Neolithic: La Marmotta ca. 5700–5300 cal BC (Lake Bracciano, Italy), Dispilio ca. 5400–3500 cal BC (Lake Orestias, Greece) and La Draga ca. 5300–4900 cal BC (Lake Banyoles, Spain). New interventions within the framework of the AgriChange project have made it possible to expand and improve the knowledge on the dynamics of occupation at Isolino Virginia ca. 5200–3400 cal BC (Lake Varese, Italy), the earliest known pile-dwelling site around the Alps. Our results suggest that this site could have been the spark of the pile-dwelling phenomenon in the area.