7,000 years ago, on a Swiss Alp

[Judi Lynn]

APR 8, 2017 - 16:00




The hunter of Schnidi - a prehistoric model displayed at the Bern Historical Museum three
years ago
(KEYSTONE/Archäologischer Dienst Kanton Bern)

People in Switzerland were running high alpine pastures much earlier than previously assumed, according to a study that combines archeological knowledge with findings from paleoecology.

Scientists from the Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research at Bern University say there’s a chain of evidence supporting a theory that shepherds living in southwestern Switzerland around 5,000 BC drove their herds to pastures situated at around 2,750 metres above sea level in the Alps.

“We have strong indications that argue that people were on the move in the mountains with their animals much earlier than previously assumed,” study author Albert Hafner is quoted as saying.

He said the combination of two scientific approaches allowed the scientists to collect better data and interpret it with a new perspective, according to a press release by Bern University.

More:
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/prehistoric-farming_7-000-years-ago--on-a-swiss-alp/43094518

[Warpy]

1. I think it's a pretty fine line between chasing herds and driving them

and that line was crossed long before anyone thinks it was since people would remember where the best grazing would be in various years, depending on the weather. Dogs undoubtedly helped, once we'd convinced them to stop eating the herd.

[democratisphere]

2. Ancient ancestors had great knowledge about many things.

These discoveries are amazing.

Thanks again!