Gletscherfunde am Langgrubenjoch (Gde. Mals und Gde. Schnals) in Südtirol

Vorbericht

Abstract

Glacial Finds from the Langgrubenjoch (Gde. Mals and Gde. Schnals) in South Tyrol. Preliminary Report

Finds from thawing névés and ice fields were discovered at the Langgrubenjoch (3017 m a. s. l.) between Matscher- and Schnalstal in the southern Ötztal Alps. The finds are predominantly made up of wooden parts, many of which are fragments of boards and show tool marks. First radiocarbon and dendro dates reveal artefacts dating back to the Copper Period, middle to late Bronze Age as well as the Roman period. The toolmarks and comparable finds suggest that the pieces of boards consisting of larch (Larix decidua) were the remains of the roof shingles of a late Bronze Age hut. Although the Langgrubenjoch cannot be crossed easily it is the shortest route between the Obere Vinschgau in the area of Mals and Schnalstal and the region north of the alpine main ridge. The periods of time indicated by the finds, i. e. the late 3rd and 2nd millennia BC as well as the Rom an period, witnessed a relatively low extent of the glaciers or warm phases. In those times the Langgrubenjoch was possibly easier accessible and therefore used more intensively.