First site signage 1856 (≈ 1856)
Initial mention of the remains in the lake.
1950-1975
First archaeological excavations
First archaeological excavations 1950-1975 (≈ 1963)
Campaigns on the submerged site.
2000
DRASM Searches
DRASM Searches 2000 (≈ 2000)
New underwater exploration of the site.
24 octobre 2011
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 24 octobre 2011 (≈ 2011)
Official protection of 0.6 ha of remains.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The archaeological site immersed in the lake off the banks of the municipality of Brison-Saint-Innocent, in total (Box Z, not cadastral) and situated around a central point X 875.940; Y 2088.110; Z 228.60 (- 2.90) coordinates Lambert II extended, corresponding to a surface of 1.4 ha piles, according to the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 24 October 2011
Key figures
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Origin and history
The archaeological site of Grésine-est, located in the Bourget lake in Brison-Saint-Innocent (Savoie), is an exceptional testimony of the lakeside towns of the final bronze age. It is part of the remains of human occupation in a wetland, with supporting piles of wood habitat still visible. These discoveries, ranging from Neolithic to Bronze Age, illustrate a major part of European prehistory, including the adaptation of communities to lake areas and their social organization around these coastal habitats.
Reported in 1856, the site was searched between 1950 and 1975, then in 2000 by the DRASM (Department of Subaquatic and Sub-Marine Archaeological Research). It is considered a reference for the final bronze age, thanks to the archaeological furniture already extracted, to the still buried potential, and to its spatial organization which illuminates the littoral lifestyles of this time. Its classification as Historic Monument in 2011 protects a surface of 0.6 hectares of piles, located by extended Lambert II coordinates.
The studies carried out on Gresine-est offer a unique perspective on architecture, crafts and the daily practices of the populations of the final Bronze Age in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The site, although partially explored, remains a key field of investigation to understand the dynamics of human settlement around alpine lakes, as well as the cultural and technological exchanges of this pivotal period between prehistory and protohistory.
