Palafites

Palafites is a term used in archaeology to denote the inhabitants associated with prehistoric pile-dwelling communities built on stilts in wetlands around the Alpine region and neighboring areas. The designation derives from the Italian word palafitte, meaning stilt house, and refers to a broad, culturally diverse set of communities rather than a single ethnic group.

Sites attributed to Palafites are located around the Alps, including present-day Switzerland, southern Germany, northern Italy, France, and parts of eastern Spain and the Balkans. The activity spans part of the Neolithic and into the Early Bronze Age, commonly dated to roughly 5200 to 1500 BCE, though dates vary by site.

Palafite settlements consisted of compact villages perched on wooden piles extending into lakes or marshes. Houses were often built on two or more tiers, with partially submerged floors when water levels rose. Drainage channels and causeways connected sites; timber construction left durable traces in waterlogged sediments.

Analyses of pottery, stone tools, fish bones, and plant remains show a mixed economy focused on fishing, hunting waterfowl, and gathering wild resources, with evidence for early cultivation of cereals and legumes in some areas. Substantial trade networks linked inland farming communities with alpine and Mediterranean resources, including metals in the later phases.

Palafite sites provide insight into adaptive strategies for wetland environments and early village life in Europe. In the 19th and 20th centuries, many pile-dwelling sites were excavated; today, several are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List "Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps."