Beside Neuchâtel, a Discovery Park (Parc de la Découverte) has been established on the excavation site of Champréveyres, which revealed the remains of three civilisations: late Bronze Age (c.1000 B.C.), Neolithic (the village of the Cortaillod civilisation , founded in 3810 B. C.) and Magdalenian (a camp of Magdalenian hunters from c.13’000 B.C.).
The past is engraved on the landscape.
A Gallo-Roman barge measuring 20 metres, a section of a Celtic bridge, found along the Thielle riverbed, a Bronze Age house with wickerwork walls and thatched roof, a burial mound – prehistoric funeral hillock – the stilts of the Neolithic village of Champréveyres embedded in the site where they were discovered: all these unusual exhibits remind us of the archaeological richness of the region. An original prehistoric ground of the second Magdalenian camp known to exist on Neuchâtel’s shores completes this prehistoric vista.
Nature in prehistoric times also has a place in the park: tundra, coniferous and leafy forest echo the successive landscapes of the land. The fishing lagoon, which is kept at the height of the three sub-jussian lakes, reminds us that the water used to come up much higher before it was altered in the last century.
Here is where “Le Latenium”, the cantonal museum of archaeology can be found. Named after the La Tène period of history, it opened its doors for Expo.02 on 3 hectares of this magical landscape.
Some 2’500 objects were found in the Thielle riverbed at La Tène , near Neuchâtel. Spears, spear or assegai heads, shields, belt hooks, razors, knives, iron ingots, two stateres and seven quarter of statere in gold. An incredible find!
The two gold stateres and seven quarter gold statere show Apollo’s head and two harnessed horses led by a coachman. They imitate the “ Philips” of Macedonia, attacked in the region: a similar die was found in Avenches. This coinage shows the existence of an early trading vocation.
La Tène site is assumed to have been a refuge, a military or frontier post, a sanctuary or a trading post. It gave its name to an archaeological period, which stretched from 450 B.C. until the start of Anno Domini. It is thanks to this site that we can claim that the Neuchâtel region has been trading for over 2000 years!
The new cantonal museum of archaeology that is situated on an exceptional site on the banks of Hauterive, was named Laténium. Its success has meant that knowledge of this amazing site radiates far beyond its boundaries.
