Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland)
The Benedictine Convent of Saint John at Müstair is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the eastern part of Switzerland close to South Tyrol’s border (Italy). Known as a well-preserved Carolingian building complex housing Carolingian and Romanesque frescoes, the convent has received much academi...
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doaj-c5c9c3db8b8a41cc85c8ccdaa6e93dd22021-07-15T15:44:20ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-06-01132515251510.3390/rs13132515Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland)Jona Schlegel0Geert J. Verhoeven1Patrick Cassitti2Alois Hinterleitner3Klaus Löcker4Hannes Schiel5Christoph Walser6Thomas Reitmaier7Wolfgang Neubauer8Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaStiftung Pro Kloster St. Johann, via Maistra 18, 7537 Müstair, SwitzerlandLudwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaLudwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaArchaeological Service of the Canton of Grisons, Loëstrasse 26, 7001 Chur, SwitzerlandArchaeological Service of the Canton of Grisons, Loëstrasse 26, 7001 Chur, SwitzerlandLudwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaThe Benedictine Convent of Saint John at Müstair is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the eastern part of Switzerland close to South Tyrol’s border (Italy). Known as a well-preserved Carolingian building complex housing Carolingian and Romanesque frescoes, the convent has received much academic attention. However, all research activities so far have been concentrated on the area enclosed by the convent’s walls, even though the neighbouring fields to the east and south are also part of the convent’s property. This paper reports on the archaeological magnetic and ground-penetrating radar surveys of these areas, executed as part of a pilot project exploring the convent’s immediate environment. At present, these fields are used for agriculture and located on a massive alluvial fan of the mountain stream Valgarola. Dense geophysical sampling revealed an intricate network of distributary channels with stream and mudflow deposits, constituting a natural border of the convent’s territory. In addition to different field systems, a newly discovered broad pathway appears to be an original Roman road. Numerous structural elements, mapped within the convent’s walls, could be attributed to specific building phases. Over 40 large and deep burial shafts, arranged in three rows, were discovered outside the convent’s burial ground. Their specific design and arrangement are characteristic of early medieval burials, such as those of the 6th century Lombards on the edge of the eastern Alps.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/13/2515archaeological prospectionconventburialsground-penetrating radarmagnetometryMiddle Ages |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jona Schlegel Geert J. Verhoeven Patrick Cassitti Alois Hinterleitner Klaus Löcker Hannes Schiel Christoph Walser Thomas Reitmaier Wolfgang Neubauer |
spellingShingle |
Jona Schlegel Geert J. Verhoeven Patrick Cassitti Alois Hinterleitner Klaus Löcker Hannes Schiel Christoph Walser Thomas Reitmaier Wolfgang Neubauer Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland) Remote Sensing archaeological prospection convent burials ground-penetrating radar magnetometry Middle Ages |
author_facet |
Jona Schlegel Geert J. Verhoeven Patrick Cassitti Alois Hinterleitner Klaus Löcker Hannes Schiel Christoph Walser Thomas Reitmaier Wolfgang Neubauer |
author_sort |
Jona Schlegel |
title |
Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland) |
title_short |
Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland) |
title_full |
Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland) |
title_fullStr |
Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Prospecting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Müstair (Switzerland) |
title_sort |
prospecting the unesco world heritage site of müstair (switzerland) |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Remote Sensing |
issn |
2072-4292 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
The Benedictine Convent of Saint John at Müstair is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the eastern part of Switzerland close to South Tyrol’s border (Italy). Known as a well-preserved Carolingian building complex housing Carolingian and Romanesque frescoes, the convent has received much academic attention. However, all research activities so far have been concentrated on the area enclosed by the convent’s walls, even though the neighbouring fields to the east and south are also part of the convent’s property. This paper reports on the archaeological magnetic and ground-penetrating radar surveys of these areas, executed as part of a pilot project exploring the convent’s immediate environment. At present, these fields are used for agriculture and located on a massive alluvial fan of the mountain stream Valgarola. Dense geophysical sampling revealed an intricate network of distributary channels with stream and mudflow deposits, constituting a natural border of the convent’s territory. In addition to different field systems, a newly discovered broad pathway appears to be an original Roman road. Numerous structural elements, mapped within the convent’s walls, could be attributed to specific building phases. Over 40 large and deep burial shafts, arranged in three rows, were discovered outside the convent’s burial ground. Their specific design and arrangement are characteristic of early medieval burials, such as those of the 6th century Lombards on the edge of the eastern Alps. |
topic |
archaeological prospection convent burials ground-penetrating radar magnetometry Middle Ages |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/13/2515 |
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