Debate over excavation work

In his role as head of the advisory committee on the excavation project in the Alpenblick area of Cham, Martin Pfister (CVP, Baar) brought in Werner E. Stöckli, federally appointed expert and specialist on historical lakeside settlements, to evaluate the potential findings of the digs. According to Stöckli, they represent a unique opportunity to unearth an entire village dating back some 5,000 years. It could provide valuable scientific insights into how the settlement came about and would be one of only three sites in Switzerland of its kind, along with those on the shores of Lake Biel and Lake Neuchâtel.

 

The site is only around 1.5 metres below ground, and according to the commission's report, "if the findings are as significant as expected, it could qualify as a Unesco World Heritage Site". The commission has allocated CHF 4.27 million to the excavation work – a sum which Stöckli describes as the bare minimum – but certain of its members, as well as government officials, want the excavations to proceed in stages and thus only receive an initial allocation of CHF 2 million. This would allow work to be broken off and for the committee to cut its losses should the site turn out to be of less scientific interest that original expected.

 

The opposite side of the argument is that the excavation work will become more expensive if it is only done in stages, which obviously is not an option due to the budget already being very tight, although fortunately, the construction company involved has shown a great deal of understanding and a real sense of compromise thus far.

 

The quality of the findings will also have an impact on building works in the area, since archaeological sites are protected areas. Only sites of genuine worth need to come under this protection, otherwise, as Stefan Hochuli, head of the Department for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Archaeology points out, "very little building work would actually be able to take place".