Bronze Age settlement

Settlements of the Copper and Bronze Ages consisted of houses built largely of wood and other perishable materials such as reeds, clay, or willow branches. Near lakes, Stone Age people built pile dwellings, such as those found on Lake Keutschach. Organic substances such as wood, cloth, or grain can be preserved underwater. On land, pits containing the remains of household goods such as pottery or clay loom weights are often the only evidence of settlements. Ceramic finds at the new ÖBB train station in St. Paul im Lavanttal show that people lived here as early as 6,000 years ago. The oldest finds date from the early Copper Age (Lasinja culture, 4300 to 3900 BCE) and the early Bronze Age (Kisapostag culture, 2300 to 1800 BCE). One pit contained a massive accumulation of ceramics, suggesting deliberate deposition, possibly as part of a cult ceremony. Evidence of the associated settlement was limited to pits, postholes, stone layers, and a ditch—possibly for a palisade. The settlement existed for around 700 years, from approximately 1400 to 700 BCE. A few burial pits containing urns were lined with stones. In 1937, a completely preserved Bronze Age vessel was found in a grave in St. Salvator near Friesach. A copper axe blade was discovered in Weitendorf, Styria, during the Koralm Railway excavation.