Crettaz-Polet
Origin of the name Crettaz-Polet
The site bears the name of the spot where it was found, spelt « Crettaz-Polet » or « Crettaz-Pollet ». The name itself remains unexplained.[2]
Founding of Crettaz-Polet
The Crettaz-Polet site lies near the small town of Sembrancher, in the municipality of the same name, where the Bagnes and Entremont valleys meet. It was discovered after 1974 and studied by the University of Geneva in the 1970s and 1980s. It has yielded a hamlet and a cemetery from the Middle Neolithic, with Chamblandes-type graves, then traces of occupation up to the Late La Tène period. New excavations took place in 2014 and 2015, before three buildings were constructed.[1][2][3]
History of Crettaz-Polet
around 3900-3200 BC. In the Middle Neolithic, a hamlet and a cemetery occupy the site. The graves are of the Chamblandes type.[1][2]
2nd millennium BC. In the second half of the millennium, in the Bronze Age, remains of buildings and pottery.[3]
750-400 BC. In the Early Iron Age, dwellings and a pottery workshop at the foot of the hill. The particularly dense remains show that a small village community lived here.[2][3]
2nd-1st century BC. At the end of the Iron Age, numerous pottery fragments, some imported from Italy, and objects of bronze or glass.[3]
1st century AD. More scattered traces of occupation.[2]
after 1974. Discovery of the site, studied by the University of Geneva in the 1970s and 1980s.[2][3]
2014-2015. New excavations before the construction of three buildings of the « La Gravenne » project. A new grave is uncovered.[3]
2016. On 6 October, archaeologist Alain Benkert (ARIA office, Sion) presents new findings on the first inhabitants of the site in Sembrancher.[3]
Remains in Crettaz-Polet
Middle Neolithic hamlet and graves. Settlement remains and Chamblandes-type burials, dated to around 3900 to 3200 BC.[1][2]
Early Iron Age pottery kilns. They are the only Early Iron Age pottery kilns known to date in Valais.[3]
Sources
- Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, « Sembrancher (Gemeinde) » (David Rey, version du 23.11.2011)
- Office fédéral de la culture, ISOS (Inventaire fédéral des sites construits à protéger en Suisse), « Sembrancher », n° 5125
- Culture Valais, affiche de la conférence d'Alain Benkert, « Nouvelles données sur les premiers habitants de Sembrancher, du Néolithique à l'aube de l'Epoque romaine » (6 octobre 2016)
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (La Gravenne, coordonnées approximatives)
Other villages near Crettaz-Polet
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