The Universities of Bern and Zurich are organising the seventh Swiss International Summer School for Alpine Archaeology (SISA) from 12th–18th July 2026. This year’s summer school will take place in the Alpstein massif (Appenzell), in St. Gallen, in the Zurich area, and in the Jura mountains (Neuchâtel). The link between these various regions is that they were all inhabited by Neanderthals in the Middle and Late Pleistocene.
Finds from Alpine and Jura caves (Wildkirchli, Cotencher) as well as various lowland areas attest to the presence of humans within specific climates and environments, in which large mammals such as cave bears and mammoths played important roles, not least as game animals. Research on Neanderthal landscapes includes a broad variety of anthropological, archaeological and ecological approaches.
SISA 2026 aims to address Neanderthal landscapes through methodological training led by keynote speakers, site visits (caves and museums), and in-depth discussions of core research topics.
Partners
Laténium – Parc et musée d’archéologie de Neuchâtel
Funding & Cooperations
Cover photo © Archäologischer Dienst des Kantons Bern