The surprise was great when in 2014, scuba diver Daniel Rubin presented the Archaeological Service of Canton Bern with a bag full of bronze objects that he had found in Lake Thun near Schadau Castle. An initial inspection of the find site by the Archaeological Service’s diving team revealed piles, archaeological strata, and more bronze artefacts. This is the first pile-dwelling site to have been found in Lake Thun. 

The remains of the millennia-old settlement are at severe risk of erosion, particularly in the region of the shipping lane. In order to secure the archaeological remains before they are totally destroyed, the Archaeological Service's diving team has been carrying out rescue excavations in 2020 and 2024. The still extant remains of the settlement are being documented underwater by divers, and the finds (ceramics, weapons, tools and bronze jewellery) rescued. The piles of the one-time houses excavated in 2020 – which have now been dated by means of dendrochronology (a dating method for wood) – show that people lived in at least two consecutive settlements, in around 1590 BC and then around 1550 BC.

The exhibition will bring the hidden world in Lake Thun to life with the aid of wave projections and a fitting soundscape. Interviews with project participants will give insights into the diving excavations and the technique of dendrochronology.