A remarkable series of standing stones has been found near one of the most important Neolithic sites in Switzerland and indeed in the entire Alpine region of Europe. Excavated stones are shedding more light on the Late Stone Age. In particular, they are helping researchers understand the social rituals and beliefs of Neolithic people.
The interesting discoveries were made in Sion, southwestern Switzerland in the canton of Valais. Experts from the buildings, monuments and archeology department of Valais made this discovery completely by chance.
According to a press release from the Canton du Valais, the stones were found during “the construction of a rental building at the Avenue du Petit-Chasseur.” Six standing stones were found but some were damaged. One of the slabs weighs about two tons and needs to be lifted using heavy machinery.
Stone collection comes second. (© SBMA – ARIA SA )
Standing stones represent Neolithic leadership
The stones were once arranged in rows or columns. Three of the standing stones have been carved and have relief designs and are classified by archaeologists as stelae. Swissinfo.ch reports that the largest stone features “a figure of a man wearing geometrically patterned clothing and a sun-like motif around his face.” The identity of this figure is unknown but it probably depicts a chief or a political leader.
Two of the slabs have a number of chalices, which are circular indentations and are often seen at other Neolithic sites. Swissinfo.ch reports that these markings “have not been found before in Valais but have been found at a site near Aosta in Italy.” Based on marks on the rocks, they are believed to date back about 2,500 years ago, to the Late Neolithic period.
A new beer? An anthropomorphic stele, made of standing stone, decorated with small cup images. (© SBMA – ARIA SA )
Stone Age cemetery
The latest discovery was made about 1,312 feet (400 meters) from the very important Petit Chasseur necropolis in Sion. This is a Stone Age and Bronze Age site that has been in continuous use for over 3,000 years. It has been used by several cultures and it has yielded many different findings.
They include six tombs, which are made of a large flat stone placed on top of standing stones. There are also about nine tombs, other tombs, and about 30 steles with human figures, many of them armed warriors.
View of the MVI dolmens and rearrangement of the anthropomorphic stelae erected on the eponymous site of Petit-Chasseur. (© Valais State Museum)
The site was excavated from the 1960s to the 1990s. The relationship between the six standing stones and the cemetery at Petit Chasseur is unknown. The largest slab has a human figure, similar to others found at the site which was first discovered in the early 1960s.
Given the close proximity of the six standing stones to the Petit Chasseur necropolis, it seems likely that these stones were part of the same cultural and ceremonial landscape as the necropolis. This landscape was clearly important to local Stone Age and even later Bronze Age societies.
Are standing stones broken during social ceremonies?
One of the most important similarities between the new discovery and the old cemetery is that the stone blocks were deliberately broken at both locations. According to a press release from Canton Du Valais, the newly found stones “were deliberately broken and placed on the ground.” There are several theories as to why this happens.
It is thought that some of the recently found broken stones were used as building material for the nearby cemetery. Swissinfo.ch reported that the broken stones may have been “used to construct tombs previously found in the same area”. They may also have been disrupted by social tensions or by invaders occupying the area.
Some of the broken stones may have been used as construction material for the Petit-Chasseur necropolis. (© SBMA – ARIA SA )
Do the standing stones represent a new elite warrior?
However, recently excavated stones, which probably represent leaders, may have been broken as part of a social ritual to demonstrate their power. The chief or leader is symbolized by a stone, smashing the stele and the broken pieces are used to build another monument as part of the symbolism of his power and control.
The stones were erected and carved at a time when Neolithic societies were moving away from the egalitarian social organizations of the past. Warrior elites and chieftains were beginning to dominate societies and their standing stones and ritual destruction, perhaps indicating that these leaders were increasingly assuming control and authority force.
The accidental discovery of six standing stones is helping researchers better understand the important cemetery at Petit Chasseur. They allow us to get a better look at the rituals and societies of the Neolithic period. The stele also represents the transition to a political organization dominated by the warrior class during this era.
