The Flözerbändli – a Late Palaeolithic / Early Mesolithic site in the Muota Valley (Canton Schwyz / CH)

Abstract

The Flözerbändli – a Late Palaeolithic / Early Mesolithic site in the Muota Valley (Canton Schwyz / CH)

In the summers of 2020 and 2021, a team of archaeologists and palaeoecologists examined the »Flözerbändli« site, a rocky overhang located directly above the right bank of the River Muota at an elevation of 740 m a. s. l. The excavations unearthed Early Mesolithic layers which yielded charcoal fragments from 9746-8294 BC, stone artefacts including projectile points, as well as animal bones and palaeoethnobotanical remains. A remarkable find was a red deer antler fragment dating from 10,519-10,028 BC, which was decorated with regular rows of pit marks. Late Palaeolithic finds such as this are extremely rare. Various other Mesolithic sites have also been discovered in the municipal area of Muotathal.