Ardez

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Site
Community:	Scuol
Canton:	Graubünden
Country:	Switzerland
Coordinates:	46° 46' 29.64" N, 10° 12' 6.16" E
Objects:	EN-1 potsherd (pottery)
Field names:	Suotchastè

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Commentary

Ardez

In the immediate surroundings of Ardez were discovered two findspots, Ardez-Suotchastè and Ardez-Chanoua.
Related to Ardez-Suotchastè and the here found objects, esp. the pottery, a dating to the timeframe of the Middle Bronze Age to the 1st half of the Late Iron Age can be reasonably assumed (cp. Caduff 2007: 16).
Also Ardez-Chanoua belongs to the Iron Age period, probably to the context of the Fritzens-Sanzeno culture. A concurrency between Ardez-Suotchastè and Ardez-Chanoua cannot be excluded, but so far it is not verified (cp. Caduff 2007: 10).
For further references related to Ardez-Chanoua cp.: Lotti Staufer, Die Siedlugnsreste von Scuol-Munt Baselgia (Unterengadin GR). Ein Beitrag zur inneralpinen Bronze- und Eisenzeit, Basel 1983 (= Antiqua 9); Andreas C. Zürcher, Urgeschichtliche Fundstellen Graubündens, Chur 1982 (= Schriftenreihe des Rätischen Museums Chur, Nr. 27).
For further information related to Ardez-Suotchastè see here.

Scuol

Scuol, main town of the community Scuol, is near to Ardez, by the side of the river Inn, about ten km downstream. Also in the immediate surroundings of Scuol were found several prehistoric findspots: Scuol-Munt Baselgia, Scuol-Russonch and Scuol-Motta Sfondraz. According to Rageth these three findspots can put into the same context: Scuol-Munt Baselgia, situated on the top of a hill, can be interpreted in accord with the findings as settlement. Scuol-Motta Sfondraz represented the cult resp. ritual site of Scuol-Munt Baselgia, from the Middle Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age, possibly until the Early Iron Age. Later, in the course of the Iron Age, the cult site Scuol-Motta Sfondraz was superseded by Scuol-Russonch which is located on a upper lynchet. The latter find spot describes a site of burnt offering (Brandopferplatz) (cp. Caduff 2007: 10–11).
Further references: Rageth 2000; Rageth 2002. Further references indicated also in Caduff 2007, cp. esp. the bibliography and the indications under Rageth. Related to Scuol-Russonch cp. e.g. Rageth 2002b.

Scuol-Russonch

In 1953 as well as in 1954 first excavations executed by Bischoff and Peer, two laypersons from the region, were started. In this context was discovered an occupation layer with pottery and bones. The pottery dates to the Iron Age. In the summer months, from 1959 to 1964, were executed excavations in Scuol-Russonch under the direction of Conradin. After the death of Conradin the excavations were directed by Bischoff, Ramosch, Planta and Sent. All of these laypersons from the region. The discoveries are now preserved at the Rätisches Museum Chur.
The discoveries related to the Iron Age found in Scuol-Russonch date to the Late Hallstatt period (Ha D) to La Tène D where the dating is in relation to the various findings of fibulae.
1959 was discovered a perforated animal bone.

perforated bone from 'Scuol-Russonch'

The rib bone is slightly curved. The narrow end is broken. Also in the upper area of the wider end the bone is broken. Highly smoothed as well as burnished. The rib bone is perforated eight times therefore the bone reminds of the perforated antlers as well as bones found at different places in the area of the Fritzens-Sanzeno culture e.g. Magrè, Montesei di Serso or Ganglegg. But related to the perforations, certainly apart from the material and the object type, the bone is evocative of the schist plaque with seven perforations discovered in St. Lorenzen / San Lorenzo di Sebato.
The bone from Scuol-Russonch have various incised strokes and lines which are often indicated as characters of the Etruscan alphabet (cp. i.a. Rageth 2002b: 789). But these scratches cannot be segmented into letters. Therefore the strokes cannot be interpreted as inscription, but they might be considered pseudo-script or an ornamental decoration. The function of the bone is unclear, but it can be supposed that the object must also put into a ritual or votive context. In addition the interpretation of Scuol-Russonch as site of burnt offering (Brandopferplatz) prompts this assumption.
The rib bone is now preserved at the Rätisches Museum Chur with the inventory number P 1964.98.
The bone was published i.e. by Risch, but with particular regard to the characters (cp. Risch 1984: 28, fig. 11; Risch 1989: 1586, fig. 10), and Rageth (cp. Rageth 2002b: 789, fig. 8).
In addition also the pottery from Scuol-Russonch has the typical non-script characters and marks. Cp. e.g. Rageth 2000b: fig. 5.4: On the bottom of a compressed bowl with S-shaped profile and stamped striae-decoration remains of three characters ( and probably remains of ). In accord with the typology and the decoration the bowl dates to La Tène A as well as La Tène B.

S.K.

Bibliography

Caduff 2007	Bruno Caduff, "Ardez-Suotchastè. Eine urgeschichtliche Fundstelle im Unterengadin (GR)", Jahrbuch der Historischen Gesellschaft von Graubünden (= 137. Jahresbericht der Historischen Gesellschaft) (2007), 5–98.