Lepontii

The Lepontier lived in the first millennium BC in the area between the Gotthard massif and the Lake Maggiore, the current Swiss cantons of Ticino and Graubünden and the Italian provinces of Novara and Verbano -Cusio -Ossola. Their capital city was Oscella Lepontiorum, today Domodossola. On the Lepontier today's designations Leventina go ( for the upper valley of the Ticino ) and the Lepontine Alps back.

Culture

It was a people that trade between the north ( Celts, Helvetii, Reti, Rauricii ) and the South ( the Etruscans and later the Romans ) certain. It is probably in the Lepontiern to a strain which originally belonged rather to the Etruscan culture, but then mixed with the tribes of Celtic immigrants.

Language

In many inscriptions were found, although a the Celtic language related but also contains many Mediterranean influences. For writing, the Lepontier used the Etruscan alphabet. Of them, the first written records in Switzerland, which were engraved around 600 BC on grave stelae come.

Finds

In Giubiasco a necropolis of Lepontier was found. Finds, which are assigned to the Lepontiern, show rich grave goods, elaborately belts, swords, ornate bronze vessels and silver jewelry. On certain vessels and objects bird motifs recur. The so-called soul birds are an indication of the afterlife of Lepontier.

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