Switzerland_EBA_2 encompasses a set of human remains sampled from sites around Swiss lakes and river corridors, with material dated broadly between 2900 BCE and 12 CE. Key findspots include Spreitenbach CWC (a Corded Ware–linked burial), the lakeside locales of Auvernier and Burgäschisee, the small settlement at Zuzach, and graves from Wartau. Archaeological data indicates these places were focal points of exchange—lakeshore dwellings, trackways through pre-Alpine passes, and metalworking activity that intensified in the third and second millennia BCE.
The cultural horizon labeled “Early Bronze Age 2” in Switzerland is visible as a tapestry rather than a single horizon: traces of Chalcolithic traditions persist alongside new burial rites and increasingly mobile metal economies. The presence of a Corded Ware linked burial at Spreitenbach hints at cultural connections north and east of the Alps, while lake settlement sites such as Auvernier and Burgäschisee retain long-standing littoral lifeways.
Genetically, the sampled individuals capture snapshots of that complex emergence. With 18 genomes available, patterns are visible but not exhaustive: some lineages hint at persistence of Neolithic maternal lines and the introduction of paternal types associated elsewhere with steppe‑derived ancestry. Limited evidence suggests episodic movement of people and ideas across Alpine corridors rather than a single sweeping population replacement.
Bulleted archaeological takeaways:
- Sites include Spreitenbach CWC, Auvernier, Burgäschisee, Zuzach and Wartau.
- Material culture shows continuity at lake sites and external influences at burial locales.
- A moderate sample set (n=18) provides useful but not definitive regional signals.