Rhône_culture
Rhône culture
Bronze Age culture in France and Switzerland
The Rhône culture was an archaeological culture of the Early Bronze Age (c. 2200-1500 BC) located in eastern France and western Switzerland, centred along the Rhône river.[1][2] The culture developed from the local Bell Beaker culture, possibly with further migrations from central Europe.[3] According to Sergent (1995) the Rhône culture represents a southern variant of the Unetice culture.[4] Rhône culture metalwork and pottery are particularly similar to those of the Straubing group in Bavaria.[5][6]
The Thun-Renzenbühl axe (c. 1800 BC), found near Thun and attributed to the Rhône culture, is one of the earliest examples of damascening technique in the world.[7][8] The gold inlay decoration on the axe may also have a numerical, astronomical meaning.[9]