Editing History of Tyrol (section)

== Prehistory ==
Archaeological findings show people settled in the middle alpine region, later to be called Tyrol, when the glaciers retreated and flora and fauna revived, after the last [[Last glacial period|ice age]] ended around 12,000 BC. Artifacts found on the [[Seiser Alm]] date to the [[Upper Paleolithic]] era. In the valley bottoms near [[Bolzano]], [[Brixen]] and [[Salorno]], [[mesolithic]] hunters resting places were discovered. Stone artefacts recovered there were dated to the 8th millennia BC. Discovery of [[Ötzi the Iceman|Ötzi]] on the [[Similaun]] glacier in 1991 proved man had already crossed the highest Alpine passes 5000 years ago. Sedentary settlements of farmers and herders can be traced back to 5000 BC. There is ample evidence of settlements in the main and side valleys during the early and middle [[Bronze Age]] (1800-1300 BC). Preferred settlement sites were sunny terraces on the valleys slopes, and hill tops in the middle heights.[[File:Bressanone Brixen.jpg|thumb|right|View from south to the city of Brixen and the [[Eisacktal]]]]

In the Bronze and Iron Ages the region was home to a series of autochthonous cultures occupying roughly the area of the later county of Tyrol. The most prominent are the late [[Bronze Age]] Laugen-Melaun culture and [[Iron Age]] Fritzens-Sanzeno culture cultures.

The Laugen-Melaun culture, named after two important archaeological sites near the modern-day town of Brixen in [[South Tyrol]], originated in the 14th century BC, in the area of today's South Tyrol and [[Trentino]]. It soon spread over the central area of the Southern Alps, encompassing South and East Tyrol, Trentino north of Rovereto and the [[Lower Engadine]]; the northern part of [[Tyrol (state)|Tyrol]] came under the influence of the [[Urnfield culture]].<ref>Gleirscher 1992.</ref> Distinguishing factors include its characteristic richly decorated pottery, while the metal-working is strongly influenced by adjacent cultures. As in the Urnfield culture, Laugen-Melaun-people cremated their dead, placing their ashes in [[urn]]s, and worshipping their gods in sanctuaries sometimes situated in remote areas, on mountain-tops or close to water. Rich burial objects show that from the 13th to 11th century BC, the Laugen-Melaun culture (Laugen-Melaun A) flourished, due to the mining of [[copper]], the source material for the alloy [[bronze]].

Around 500 BC, the Fritzens-Sanzeno culture, also known as culture of the [[Raeti]], after the goddess [[Raetia]] who according to [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] authors was the main deity of the people inhabiting the region, succeeded both the Laugen-Melaun culture of the southern and the Urnfield culture of the northern part of Tyrol.<ref>Gleirscher 1991.</ref> As in the preceding culture, the richly ornamented pottery is very characteristic, while many aspects such as the metal-working, burial customs and religion are strongly influenced by its neighbours, primarily the [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscans]] and [[Celts]]. Nonetheless, the Fritzens-Sanzeno-people possessed important distinct cultural traits distinguishing them from adjacent groups, such as the typical mountain-sanctuaries already in use during the time of the Laugen-Melaun culture, certain types of [[Fibula (brooch)|fibulae]], bronze armor, and their own alphabet derived from one of North Etruscan alphabets (but not from the [[Old Italic alphabet#Etruscan alphabet|Etruscan alphabet]]). The language of the Raeti was kin to Etruscan, but different enough to suggest a very ancient divergence between them.<ref>Oettinger, Norbert. Seevoelker und Etrusker. // Pax Hethitica. Studies on the Hittites and their neighbors in honor of Itamar Singer. Wiesbaden, 2010</ref>