The Laugen-Melaun culture (from German ''Laugen-Melaun-Kultur'') or Luco culture (in Italian) developed between the late Bronze Age and the early Iron Age in the Alps, between Trentino, South Tyrol, East Tyrol, and in the Engadin. The term, coined in 1927 by

Gero von Merhart Gero Merhart von Bernegg (17 October 1886 in Bregenz – 4 March 1959) was a German archaeologist. Although he worked at the same time when German nationalism and Nazi archaeology was dominant in Germany, he was not a "Nazi archaeologist". He cam ...

, initially included only Melaun (also ''Mellaun''), a village near Brixen. The ''pitcher of Laugen'', found at Villanders and preserved at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, is a typical example of this culture: it has a triangular nozzle, a decorative outer grooves, and a height of 18.3 cm ; next to the handle are two horn-shaped appendices. Also at Villanders it was found a place used for votive burnings (Opferplatz) remained in use for centuries until the Iron Age.

Bibliography

* Walter Leitner, ''Eppan - St. Pauls, eine Siedlung der späten Bronzezeit - ein Beitrag zur inneralpinen Laugen/Melaun-Kultur'', 2 voll., Innsbruck, 1987. * Günther Niederwanger, ''Ein Laugener Brandopferplatz am Schwarzsee auf dem Seeberg im Sarntal'', in « Der Schlern», 64, 1990, pp. 371–397. {{Authority control Archaeological cultures of Central Europe Archaeological cultures of Southern Europe Celtic archaeological cultures Bronze Age cultures of Europe Archaeological cultures in Austria Archaeological cultures in Italy Archaeological cultures in Switzerland