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Île du lac d’Inkwil (BE/SO)A UNESCO heritage site threatened by beavers
Beavers are damaging prehistoric remains present on the large island of Lake Inkwil located on the border between the cantons of Bern and Solothurn. A grid will be placed.
A gallery built by beavers crosses a layer of prehistoric woods on the shores of the Big Island.
Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern/Daniel Steffen
Unique specimen of wooden sword from the late Bronze Age (1220-890 BC)
Archaeological Service of the Canton of Solothurn/Martin Bösch
The large island in Lake Inkwil, located on the border between the cantons of Bern and Solothurn, is both a nature reserve and an area listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a “prehistoric pile-dwelling site around the Alps “. Many remains of dwellings dating from the Neolithic and the Bronze Age have yet to be explored. They are now threatened by… beavers.
“During the construction of a total of 14 tunnel entrances at the edge of the island, the beavers worked from the water through several layers of timber dating from the Bronze Age and Neolithic times. These underground galleries lead to the irretrievable loss of valuable archaeological cultural layers,” report the cantons of Bern and Solothurn in a joint press release.
To preserve the site, a grid covering the big island will be installed during the winter of 2023-2024. “Down in the lake up to 10 meters deep, it will prevent beavers from accessing the protected perimeter and digging further,” the statement said. A replacement construction, set up this winter on the small island, will offer an alternative colonization site for animals.
The total amount of the project is estimated at nearly 800,000 francs. “As the Inkwil Lake Archaeological Site is of national and international importance, the Federal Office of Culture should bear 25% of the costs. The cantons of Bern and Solothurn will finance the remaining amount in equal shares,” the statement concludes.
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