Rhône culture

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. The culture developed from the local Bell Beaker culture, possibly with further migrations from central Europe. According to Sergent (1995) the Rhône culture represents a southern variant of the Unetice culture. Rhône culture metalwork and pottery are particularly similar to those of the Straubing group in Bavaria.

Artefacts and characteristics


The Thun-Renzenbühl axe (c. 1800 BC), found near Thun and attributed to the Rhône culture, is one of the earliest examples of the use of damascening technique in the world. The gold inlay decoration on the axe may also have a numerical, astronomical meaning.