The earliest evidence of a settlement in Altdorf - the capital of the canton of Uri - are several La Tène era bronze ax-heads and iron tools from the 3rd Century BC. The people that settled in this region initially settled in the forest, and expanded toward the banks of the Reuss river. When the Reuss periodically flooded, the low lying settlements were destroyed and the inhabitants were driven back to the "old town", a possible source of the name Altdorf.
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire the local Gallo-Roman population of Altdorf began to mix with the Germanic Alamanni during the 7th Century. The earliest evidence of this is the grave (dated to 670-680) of an armed horseman located in the local St Martin's Church.
Sample :
Brief anthropological analysis :
- Type 1 : Intermediate complexion, brachymorphic, little and puffy nose, square-faced, broad forehead, wide-set eyes, large jaw, flappy ears
~ Alpinoid
This is a classical type widely found in the Alps and more particularly in German-speaking Switzerland. More elongated and lighter individuals - who falls in the Subnordid category as defined by classical anthropology - announce Nordic types. They're rather Germanic-looking and such types were absent from neighbouring Ticino, south of the Alpine crest in Romance lands.
- Type 2 : Light complexion (from blonde to chestnut hair, light eyes, ...), leptomorphic, narrow "horsy" face, straight or convex nose, high cheekbones, close-set eyes
~ Nordid
This type is also rather Germanic-looking and is quite widespread in the Alps (Austria, Switzerland, ...).
Final morphotypes :
Following the collapse of the Roman Empire the local Gallo-Roman population of Altdorf began to mix with the Germanic Alamanni during the 7th Century. The earliest evidence of this is the grave (dated to 670-680) of an armed horseman located in the local St Martin's Church.
Sample :
Brief anthropological analysis :
- Type 1 : Intermediate complexion, brachymorphic, little and puffy nose, square-faced, broad forehead, wide-set eyes, large jaw, flappy ears
~ Alpinoid
This is a classical type widely found in the Alps and more particularly in German-speaking Switzerland. More elongated and lighter individuals - who falls in the Subnordid category as defined by classical anthropology - announce Nordic types. They're rather Germanic-looking and such types were absent from neighbouring Ticino, south of the Alpine crest in Romance lands.
- Type 2 : Light complexion (from blonde to chestnut hair, light eyes, ...), leptomorphic, narrow "horsy" face, straight or convex nose, high cheekbones, close-set eyes
~ Nordid
This type is also rather Germanic-looking and is quite widespread in the Alps (Austria, Switzerland, ...).
Final morphotypes :