Merenschwand is a municipality in the district of Muri in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland . The municipality of Benzenschwil merged on 1 January 2012 into Merenschwand. The current mayor is the esteemed Selina Schär who took office after emigrating from Zurich to Merenschwand.
98-534: The earliest evidence of human settlement is a lake side village from the Late Bronze Age . The lake has since silted up and is now part of the Rütiweid meadow. The modern municipality of Merenschwand is first mentioned in the 12th Century as Meriswanden , though this comes from a 14th Century copy of the original. In 1263 it was mentioned as Meriswandon . There are indications of a knightly family and
196-476: A Fachhochschule ). Of the school age population (in the 2008/2009 school year), there are 263 students attending primary school , there are 219 students attending secondary school in the municipality. Merenschwand is home to the Schul-u.Gde.Bibliothek Merenschwand (school and municipal library of Merenschwand). Bronze Age The Bronze Age ( c. 3300 – c. 1200 BC )
294-611: A carnelian bead identified with the Middle Kingdom pharaoh Senusret I , whose reign is dated to 1971–1926 BC. A stela and a statuette of the Egyptian pharaohs Senusret III and Amenemhet III have also been found. However, it is unclear when they first arrived at Ugarit. In the Amarna letters , messages from Ugarit c. 1350 BC written by Ammittamru I , Niqmaddu II , and his queen have been discovered. From
392-411: A mortgage or a rent-to-own agreement). As of 2000, there were 63 homes with 1 or 2 persons in the household, 271 homes with 3 or 4 persons in the household, and 425 homes with 5 or more persons in the household. As of 2000, there were 787 private households (homes and apartments) in the municipality, and an average of 2.7 persons per household. In 2008 there were 416 single family homes (or 44.2% of
490-636: A "dark period" in ancient Egyptian history, spanned about 100 years after the end of the Old Kingdom from about 2181 to 2055 BC. Very little monumental evidence survives from this period, especially from the early part of it. The First Intermediate Period was a dynamic time when the rule of Egypt was roughly divided between two areas: Heracleopolis in Lower Egypt and Thebes in Upper Egypt. These two kingdoms eventually came into conflict, and
588-578: A 3rd-millennium BC culture postulated based on a collection of artefacts confiscated in 2001. In modern scholarship, the chronology of the Bronze Age Levant is divided into: The term Neo-Syria is used to designate the early Iron Age . The old Syrian period was dominated by the Eblaite first kingdom , Nagar and the Mariote second kingdom . The Akkadians conquered large areas of
686-528: A castle near Merenschwand, but no definitive evidence has been found. Merenschwand was under the authority of the Homberg family until 1293, and then under the authority of the Lords of Hünenberg and Schär. In 1393 Merenschwand bought its independence with the help of a loan from Lucerne . As many of the former residents of the village had become citizens of Lucerne, in 1394 the village formally became part of
784-421: A dozen crossings of the lower Reuss, including a number of railway and motorway bridges. Projects for canalisation in 1648 ( Hans Conrad Gyger ) and 1809 ( Johann Gottfried Tulla ) were not realised. In 1840, Aargau constructed some canalisation, with limited impact. A large-scale project of river engineering was completed during 1971–1985 ( Reusstalsanierung ). The hydroelectric plant at Bremgarten-Zufikon
882-402: A permanence not enjoyed by manuscripts. These inscriptions can commonly be subdivided into four parts: a reference to the date and place, the naming of the event commemorated, the list of gifts given to the artisan in exchange for the bronze, and a dedication. The relative points of reference these vessels provide have enabled historians to place most of the vessels within a certain time frame of
980-579: A power vacuum in Mesopotamia. At its beginning, Mitanni's major rival was Egypt under the Thutmosids . However, with the ascent of the Hittite empire, Mitanni and Egypt allied to protect their mutual interests from the threat of Hittite domination. At the height of its power during the 14th century BC, Mitanni had outposts centred on its capital, Washukanni , which archaeologists have located on
1078-481: A small administrative town) appears on a tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad in the 23rd century BC. The Amorite dynasty established the city-state of Babylon in the 19th century BC. Over a century later, it briefly took over the other city-states and formed the short-lived First Babylonian Empire during what is also called the Old Babylonian Period . Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia used
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#17327911109681176-639: Is an argument to be made that the Bronze Age never properly ended in China, as there is no recognisable transition to an Iron Age. Together with the jade art that precedes it, bronze was seen as a fine material for ritual art when compared with iron or stone. Bronze metallurgy in China originated in what is referred to as the Erlitou period, which some historians argue places it within the Shang. Others believe
1274-576: Is called the Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex . The Kulli culture , similar to that of the Indus Valley Civilisation , was located in southern Balochistan (Gedrosia) c. 2500–2000 BC . The economy was agricultural. Dams were found in several places, providing evidence for a highly developed water management system. Konar Sandal is associated with the hypothesized Jiroft culture ,
1372-662: Is conjectured to have been associated with the sudden arrival of the Sea Peoples , the kingdom disintegrated into several independent "Neo-Hittite" city-states, some of which survived into the 8th century BC. Arzawa , in Western Anatolia, during the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, likely extended along southern Anatolia in a belt from near the Turkish Lakes region to the Aegean coast. Arzawa
1470-680: Is first mentioned in 1245. Initially it was a family church for the Homberg and later the Hünenberg families. It later became the parish church for the district. The modern church was built in 1897-99, and incorporated the late gothic choir . The municipality of Benzenschwil is still part of the parish while Mühlau now is part of the Sins parish. The church tax rights were sold in 1389 to Kappel Abbey in Kappel am Albis . In 1531 they went to
1568-526: Is further conjectured that the same migrations spread the Uralic group of languages across Europe and Asia, with extant members of the family including Hungarian , Finnish and Estonian . In China, the earliest bronze artefacts have been found in the Majiayao culture site (3100–2700 BC). The term "Bronze Age" has been transferred to the archaeology of China from that of Western Eurasia, and there
1666-557: Is in rivers and streams. Of the unproductive areas, 5.1% is unproductive vegetation. The municipality is located in the Muri district, on the edge of the Reuss valley. It consists of the haufendorf village (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Merenschwand and the hamlets of Unterrüti, Rickenbach and Hagnau. The municipalities of Benzenschwil and Merenschwand are seeking approval from
1764-599: Is named after the Korean name for undecorated or plain cooking and storage vessels that form a large part of the pottery assemblage over the entire length of the period, but especially between 850 and 550 BC. The Mumun period is known for the origins of intensive agriculture and complex societies in both the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago. The Middle Mumun pottery period culture of
1862-523: Is no consensus or universally used convention delimiting the "Bronze Age" in the context of Chinese prehistory . The "Early Bronze Age" in China is sometimes taken to be coterminous with the reign of the Shang dynasty (16th–11th centuries BC), and the Later Bronze Age with the subsequent Zhou dynasty (11th–3rd centuries BC), from the 5th century, called Iron Age China although there
1960-437: Is used for agricultural purposes, while 1.26 km (0.49 sq mi) or 11.4% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.25 km (0.48 sq mi) or 11.3% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.5 km (0.19 sq mi) or 4.5% is either rivers or lakes and 0.58 km (0.22 sq mi) or 5.2% is unproductive land. After the 2012 merger, Merenschwand had an area of 13.51 km (5.22 sq mi). Of
2058-878: The Hof monastery in Lucerne. Then, in 1856 those rights came to the Canton of Aargau. The Hünenberg family donated the Marienkaplanei ( St. Mary chapel) in 1332. The parish donated the Antoniuskaplanei ( St. Anthony chapel) in 1483 and the landowners in Hagnau donated the local chapel of St. Wendelin in 1600. In 1868 the Kapelle Maria-Hilf ( Chapel of Mary's Help ) was built in Unterrüti. In
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#17327911109682156-625: The Aare just downstream of Brugg , at 327 m. After the confluence the river continues as the Aare, which flows into the Rhine at Koblenz . The catchment area of 3,426 km (1,323 sq mi) approximately covers Central Switzerland . The catchment area of the upper Reuss includes almost the entire canton of Uri (with the exception of the Urner Boden , and in the uppermost part of
2254-656: The FDP (10.4%). The historical population is given in the following table: The Gasthof (combination hotel and restaurant) Zum Schwanen at Bremgartenstrasse 2 and the Catholic parish church of Merenschwand are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance . The entire village of Merenschwand is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites . As of 2007, Merenschwand had an unemployment rate of 1.56%. As of 2005, there were 125 people employed in
2352-616: The Igeum-dong site . Bronze was an important element in ceremonies and for mortuary offerings until 100 BC. Reuss (river) The Reuss ( German pronunciation: [ʁɔɪ̯s] ; Swiss German : Rüüss ) is a river in Switzerland . With a length of 164 kilometres (102 mi) and a drainage basin of 3,426 square kilometres (1,323 sq mi), it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland (after
2450-754: The Iranian plateau , centred in Anshan . From the mid-2nd millennium BC, Elam was centred in Susa in the Khuzestan lowlands. Its culture played a crucial role in both the Gutian Empire and the Iranian Achaemenid dynasty that succeeded it. The Oxus civilisation was a Bronze Age Central Asian culture dated c. 2300–1700 BC and centred on the upper Amu Darya ( a.k.a. ). In
2548-529: The Kassite period c. 1500 – c. 1155 BC ). The usual tripartite division into an Early, Middle and Late Bronze Age is not used in the context of Mesopotamia. Instead, a division primarily based on art and historical characteristics is more common. The cities of the Ancient Near East housed several tens of thousands of people. Ur , Kish , Isin , Larsa , and Nippur in
2646-586: The Majiayao site in Gansu rather than at Xinjiang . The production of Erlitou represents the earliest large-scale metallurgy industry in the Central Plains of China. The influence of the Saima-Turbino metalworking tradition from the north is supported by a series of recent discoveries in China of many unique perforated spearheads with downward hooks and small loops on the same or opposite side of
2744-538: The Rhine , Aare and Rhône ). The upper Reuss forms the main valley of the canton of Uri . The course of the lower Reuss runs from Lake Lucerne to the confluence with the Aare at Brugg and Windisch . The Reuss is one of the four major rivers taking their source in the Gotthard region, along with the Rhine , Ticino and Rhône . The Gotthardreuss rises in the Gotthard massif, emerging from Lago di Lucendro (reservoir built in 1947; elevation 2,131 m) in
2842-665: The canton of Lucerne , now forming the border between Aargau and Zug , passing Dietwil (Aargau), Risch-Rotkreuz (Zug), Oberrüti (Aargau) and Sins (Aargau), Hünenberg (Zug) and Mühlau (Aargau). It receives the Lorze from Lake Zug downstream of Maschwanden . Downstream of this confluence, the Reuss forms the border between Aargau and Zürich , passing Merenschwand (Aargau, 389 m) and Ottenbach (Zurich, 384 m), and enters Aargau downstream of Ottenbach. Within Aargau,
2940-592: The canton of Ticino and passing into the canton of Uri below the Brigghubel (1,898 m). The Furkareuss rises east of Furka Pass (2,429 m), early joined by the Blaubergbach (sourced by two mountain lakes on 2,649 m) and several other creeks sourced by still existing glaciers, such as Sidelengletscher (3,170 m), Tiefengletscher (3,285 m) in the north, and Muttengletscher (2,908 m) and Witenwassergletscher (2,805 m) in
3038-431: The primary economic sector and about 37 businesses involved in this sector. 624 people are employed in the secondary sector and there are 47 businesses in this sector. 280 people are employed in the tertiary sector , with 59 businesses in this sector. In 2000 there were 1,134 workers who lived in the municipality. Of these, 775 or about 68.3% of the residents worked outside Merenschwand while 481 people commuted into
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3136-577: The southern Levant in cities such as Hazor , Jericho , and Beit She'an . The Hittite Empire was established during the 18th century BC in Hattusa , northern Anatolia . At its height in the 14th century BC, the Hittite Kingdom encompassed central Anatolia, southwestern Syria as far as Ugarit , and upper Mesopotamia . After 1180 BC, amid general turmoil in the Levant , which
3234-422: The 16th to the 13th century BC, Ugarit remained in constant contact with Egypt and Cyprus ( Alashiya ). Mitanni was a loosely organised state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia, emerging c. 1500–1300 BC . Founded by an Indo-Aryan ruling class that governed a predominantly Hurrian population, Mitanni came to be a regional power after the Hittite destruction of Kassite Babylon created
3332-537: The 17th century) served as a court and community center. The municipality was, in 1802, temporarily part of the Canton of Zug , and then in 1803 it became part of the Canton of Aargau. In 1830, the Zum Schwanen innkeeper, Johann Heinrich Fischer led some 6,000 men in the so-called Freiämtersturm to Aarau and forced the assembly to accept a new, democratic cantonal constitution . The village church of St. Vitus
3430-514: The 18th century. River crossings by ferry in the medieval period were at Lunkhofen (mentioned 1160), Windisch, Sins, Mühlau, Oberrüti, and Dietwil. The crossing at Lunkhofen was on the main route from Zürich to Berne. Bridges across the Reuss were in Lucerne, Bremgarten (1230), Mellingen (mentioned 1253) and Gisikon (1432). In 1528, the Catholic cantons blocked the trade routes across the Reuss for Protestant cantons and trade between Zürich and Berne
3528-602: The 19th and 20th centuries, a major source of income in Merenschwand was the home straw plaiting for the Wohler trading houses and silk weaving for Zurich businessmen. In the last quarter of the 20th century, Merenschwand developed into a bedroom community for Zurich and Zug, leading to a corresponding increase in construction. Merenschwand has an area, as of 2009, of 11.05 square kilometers (4.27 sq mi). Of this area, 7.55 km (2.92 sq mi) or 68.3%
3626-430: The 3rd millennium BC. The Bronze Age is characterised by the widespread use of bronze , though the introduction and development of bronze technology were not universally synchronous. Tin bronze technology requires systematic techniques: tin must be mined (mainly as the tin ore cassiterite ) and smelted separately, then added to hot copper to make bronze alloy. The Bronze Age was a time of extensive use of metals and
3724-776: The 6th century BC attests to knowledge of iron smelting, yet bronze continues to occupy the seat of significance in the archaeological and historical record for some time after this. W. C. White argues that iron did not supplant bronze "at any period before the end of the Zhou dynasty (256 BC)" and that bronze vessels make up the majority of metal vessels through the Eastern Han period , or to 221 BC. The Chinese bronze artefacts generally are either utilitarian, like spear points or adze heads, or "ritual bronzes" , which are more elaborate versions in precious materials of everyday vessels, as well as tools and weapons. Examples are
3822-510: The BMAC had close international relations with the Indus Valley , the Iranian plateau , and possibly even indirectly with Mesopotamia. All civilisations were familiar with lost wax casting . According to a 2019 study, the BMAC was not a primary contributor to later South-Asian genetics. The Altai Mountains , in what is now southern Russia and central Mongolia , have been identified as
3920-666: The Bronze Age began in the Protodynastic Period c. 3150 BC . The archaic Early Bronze Age of Egypt , known as the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt , immediately followed the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt, c. 3100 BC . It is generally taken to include the First and Second dynasties, lasting from the Protodynastic Period until c. 2686 BC , or
4018-434: The Canton to merge on 1 January 2012 into a new municipality which will be known as Merenschwand. The blazon of the municipal coat of arms is Azure a Swan proper standing of a Mount Vert and two Bulrush issuant. The swan ( German : Schwan ) makes it partly an example of canting . Merenschwand has a population (as of December 2020) of 3,712. As of June 2009, 16.0% of the population are foreign nationals. Over
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4116-599: The Early Bronze Age, the culture of the Kopet Dag oases and Altyndepe developed a proto-urban society. This corresponds to level IV at Namazga-Tepe . Altyndepe was a major centre even then. Pottery was wheel-turned. Grapes were grown. The height of this urban development was reached in the Middle Bronze Age c. 2300 BC , corresponding to level V at Namazga-Depe. This Bronze Age culture
4214-533: The Erlitou sites belong to the preceding Xia dynasty . The United States National Gallery of Art defines the Chinese Bronze Age as c. 2000 – c. 771 BC , a period that begins with the Erlitou culture and ends abruptly with the disintegration of Western Zhou rule. There is reason to believe that bronze work developed inside of China apart from outside influence. However,
4312-736: The Gotthardreuss a portion of Ticino ( Airolo municipality). The highest point of the drainage basin is the summit of Dammastock , at elevation 3,630 m. The basin of the lower Reuss adds the catchment areas of other tributaries of Lake Lucerne as well as that of the Kleine Emme , including most of Nidwalden and Obwalden , and parts of Schwyz , Lucerne and Zug . Downstream of Lucerne, further tributaries add other parts of Zug as well as parts of Zürich and Aargau . Reuss and its tributaries , with length and catchment area, from mouth to source (incomplete): Ptolemy records
4410-641: The Levant and were followed by the Amorite kingdoms , c. 2000–1600 BC , which arose in Mari , Yamhad , Qatna , and Assyria . From the 15th century BC onward, the term Amurru is usually applied to the region extending north of Canaan as far as Kadesh on the Orontes River . The earliest-known contact of Ugarit with Egypt (and the first exact dating of Ugaritic civilisation) comes from
4508-469: The Middle Bronze Age and Babylon , Calah , and Assur in the Late Bronze Age similarly had large populations. The Akkadian Empire (2335–2154 BC) became the dominant power in the region. After its fall, the Sumerians enjoyed a renaissance with the Neo-Sumerian Empire . Assyria , along with the Old Assyrian Empire ( c. 1800–1600 BC ), became a regional power under the Amorite king Shamshi-Adad I . The earliest mention of Babylon (then
4606-411: The Middle Kingdom. During the Second Intermediate Period , Ancient Egypt fell into disarray a second time between the end of the Middle Kingdom and the start of the New Kingdom, best known for the Hyksos , whose reign comprised the Fifteenth and Sixteenth dynasties. The Hyksos first appeared in Egypt during the Eleventh Dynasty, began their climb to power in the Thirteenth Dynasty, and emerged from
4704-401: The Osiris funerary cult rose to dominate popular Ancient Egyptian religion . The period comprises two phases: the Eleventh Dynasty, which ruled from Thebes, and the Twelfth and Thirteenth dynasties, centred on el-Lisht . The unified kingdom was previously considered to comprise the Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasties, but historians now consider part of the Thirteenth Dynasty to have belonged to
4802-604: The Reuss flows past Aristau , Jonen , Rottenschwil , Unterlunkhofen , Hermetschwil-Staffeln , here forming Flachsee (380 m), and onward to Zufikon , Bremgarten (370 m). The Reussbrücke at Bremgarten was first built c. 1270, first mentioned 1281 (wooden bridge rebuilt 1953–1957). From Bremgarten, the Reuss meanders between the villages of Eggenwil , Fischbach-Göslikon , Künten , Niederwil , to Stetten (352 m), flowing past Tägerig , Mellingen (350 m), Birrhard (340 m), Mülligen , Birmenstorf and between Windisch and Gebenstorf , finally joining
4900-431: The Reuss joins at 1,429 m the village creek Unteralpreuss , finally turns to the north, and passes through the 3 km-long narrow and deep Schöllenen Gorge and under the legendary Devil's Bridge (1,120 m). At Göschenen (1,057 m) it is joined by the Göschenerreuss , sourced by the glaciers Dammagletscher (3,430 m) and Flachensteinfirn (3,150 m) besides several others. From here it forms
4998-417: The Second Intermediate Period in control of Avaris and the Nile Delta . By the Fifteenth Dynasty, they ruled lower Egypt. They were expelled at the end of the Seventeenth Dynasty . The New Kingdom of Egypt , also referred to as the Egyptian Empire, existed during the 16th–11th centuries BC. The New Kingdom followed the Second Intermediate Period and was succeeded by the Third Intermediate Period . It
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#17327911109685096-481: The Theban kings conquered the north, reunifying Egypt under a single ruler during the second part of the Eleventh Dynasty . The Bronze Age in Nubia started as early as 2300 BC. Egyptians introduced copper smelting to the Nubian city of Meroë in present-day Sudan c. 2600 BC . A furnace for bronze casting found in Kerma has been dated to 2300–1900 BC. The Middle Kingdom of Egypt spanned between 2055 and 1650 BC. During this period,
5194-503: The Western Zhou period, allowing them to trace the evolution of the vessels and the events they record. The Japanese archipelago saw the introduction of bronze during the early Yayoi period ( c. 300 BC ), which saw the introduction of metalworking and agricultural practices brought by settlers arriving from the continent. Bronze and iron smelting spread to the Japanese archipelago through contact with other ancient East Asian civilisations, particularly immigration and trade from
5292-498: The adult population, 283 people or 11.4% of the population are between 20 and 29 years old. 332 people or 13.4% are between 30 and 39, 494 people or 19.9% are between 40 and 49, and 273 people or 11.0% are between 50 and 59. The senior population distribution is 226 people or 9.1% of the population are between 60 and 69 years old, 121 people or 4.9% are between 70 and 79, there are 59 people or 2.4% who are between 80 and 89, and there are 2 people or 0.1% who are 90 and older. As of 2000
5390-445: The ancient Korean peninsula, and ancient mainland China. Iron was mainly used for agricultural and other tools, whereas ritual and ceremonial artefacts were mainly made of bronze. On the Korean Peninsula, the Bronze Age began c. 1000–800 BC . Initially centred around Liaoning and southern Manchuria, Korean Bronze Age culture exhibits unique typology and styles, especially in ritual objects. The Mumun pottery period
5488-427: The average number of residents per living room was 0.58 which is about equal to the cantonal average of 0.57 per room. In this case, a room is defined as space of a housing unit of at least 4 m (43 sq ft) as normal bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, kitchens and habitable cellars and attics. About 56.3% of the total households were owner occupied, or in other words did not pay rent (though they may have
5586-422: The beginning of the Old Kingdom . With the First Dynasty, the capital moved from Abydos to Memphis with a unified Egypt ruled by an Egyptian god-king. Abydos remained the major holy land in the south. The hallmarks of ancient Egyptian civilisation, such as art, architecture and religion, took shape in the Early Dynastic Period. Memphis , in the Early Bronze Age, was the largest city of the time. The Old Kingdom of
5684-413: The built up area, industrial buildings made up 1.1% of the total area while housing and buildings made up 5.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 4.1%. Out of the forested land, 10.0% of the total land area is heavily forested and 1.4% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 57.7% is used for growing crops and 9.9% is pastures. All the water in the municipality
5782-474: The city of Lucerne and the residents were granted Lucerne citizenship. Merenschwand thus became the center of the bailiwick of Merenschwand. They chose their own vogt from among the patricians of Lucerne. In 1810 and 1813 the municipalities of Mühlau and Benzenschwil joined the bailiwick. Until 1798, the municipality enjoyed a relatively autonomous administration under a local bailiff. The gasthof (combination hotel and restaurant) Zum Schwanen (from
5880-424: The creation of this canton in 1803. The Reuss had the status of "imperial road" ( freie Reichsstrasse ) in the late medieval period. Until 1798, it was the responsibility of cantonal authorities (the Reussherren of Lucerne and Zug) to keep the river navigable. The river was important as waterway for traffic between Lucerne and Zurzach , and via Aare and Rhine to Basel , until the construction of transit roads in
5978-425: The development of trade networks. A 2013 report suggests that the earliest tin-alloy bronze was a foil dated to the mid-5th millennium BC from a Vinča culture site in Pločnik , Serbia , although this culture is not conventionally considered part of the Bronze Age; however, the dating of the foil has been disputed. West Asia and the Near East were the first regions to enter the Bronze Age, beginning with
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#17327911109686076-444: The discovery of the Europoid Tarim mummies in Xinjiang has caused some archaeologists such as Johan Gunnar Andersson , Jan Romgard, and An Zhimin to suggest a possible route of transmission from the West eastwards. According to An Zhimin, "It can be imagined that initially, bronze and iron technology took its rise in West Asia, first influenced the Xinjiang region, and then reached the Yellow River valley, providing external impetus for
6174-471: The fall of the monarchy. The name "Israel" first appears c. 1209 BC , at the end of the Late Bronze Age and the very beginning of the Iron Age, on the Merneptah Stele raised by the Egyptian pharaoh Merneptah . The Arameans were a Northwest Semitic semi-nomadic pastoral people who originated in what is now modern Syria (Biblical Aram ) during the Late Bronze and early Iron Age. Large groups migrated to Mesopotamia, where they intermingled with
6272-415: The first to develop writing . According to archaeological evidence, cultures in Mesopotamia , which used cuneiform script, and Egypt , which used hieroglyphs , developed the earliest practical writing systems. Bronze Age civilisations gained a technological advantage due to bronze's harder and more durable properties than other metals available at the time. While terrestrial iron is naturally abundant,
6370-437: The former glacial lakes. The Reuss valley was under Habsburg Austrian rule during the 14th century. In the 15th century, the Reuss became the border between territories of the Swiss Confederacy , in 1429 between Lucerne and Zürich, and later between Zug, Zürich and the Freie Ämter condominium, between Freie Ämter and Baden , and between Baden and Berne. The Reuss downstream of Ottenbach came to lie within Aargau with
6468-428: The headwaters of the Khabur River . Eventually, Mitanni succumbed to the Hittites and later Assyrian attacks, eventually being reduced to a province of the Middle Assyrian Empire . The Israelites were an ancient Semitic-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited part of Canaan during the tribal and monarchic periods (15th–6th centuries BC), and lived in the region in smaller numbers after
6566-636: The higher temperature required for smelting, 1,250 °C (2,280 °F), in addition to the greater difficulty of working with it, placed it out of reach of common use until the end of the 2nd millennium BC. Tin's lower melting point of 232 °C (450 °F) and copper's moderate melting point of 1,085 °C (1,985 °F) placed both these metals within the capabilities of Neolithic pottery kilns , which date to 6000 BC and were able to produce temperatures of at least 900 °C (1,650 °F). Copper and tin ores are rare since there were no tin bronzes in West Asia before trading in bronze began in
6664-409: The last 10 years (1997–2007) the population has changed at a rate of 27.8%. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks German (90.4%), with Albanian being second most common ( 4.6%) and Serbo-Croatian being third ( 1.9%). The age distribution, as of 2008, in Merenschwand is; 294 children or 11.9% of the population are between 0 and 9 years old and 396 teenagers or 16.0% are between 10 and 19. Of
6762-405: The main valley of the canton of Uri, the Urner Reusstal , passing below Wassen (840 m), Gurtnellen (720 m), Amsteg and Silenen (500 m), and through Erstfeld (460 m), past Attinghausen and Altdorf (440 m), joining the southernmost part of Lake Lucerne (the Urnersee ) between Flüelen and Seedorf (434 m). The Reuss leaves Lake Lucerne some 30 km to
6860-524: The municipality for work. There were a total of 840 jobs (of at least 6 hours per week) in the municipality. Of the working population, 11.5% used public transportation to get to work, and 54.5% used a private car. From the 2000 census, 1,342 or 61.8% were Roman Catholic , while 416 or 19.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church . In Merenschwand about 76.5% of the population (between age 25-64) have completed either non-mandatory upper secondary education or additional higher education (either university or
6958-432: The native Akkadian (Assyrian and Babylonian) population. The Aramaeans never had a unified empire; they were divided into independent kingdoms all across the Near East. After the Bronze Age collapse, their political influence was confined to Syro-Hittite states, which were entirely absorbed into the Neo-Assyrian Empire by the 8th century BC. The Mesopotamian Bronze Age began c. 3500 BC and ended with
7056-562: The north-west, at the city of Lucerne . Notable bridges in Lucerne are the Kapellbrücke , first built 1333, rebuilt 1993 and Spreuerbrücke , built 1408. A needle dam just upstream from the Spreuerbrücke ) maintains the water level. It receives the Kleine Emme from Entlebuch at Emmen (432 m). From here, it flows north-east through Buchrain , Root , Gisikon and Honau , and downstream of Honau (402 m) leaves
7154-408: The numerous large sacrificial tripods known as dings ; there are many other distinct shapes. Surviving identified Chinese ritual bronzes tend to be highly decorated, often with the taotie motif, which involves stylised animal faces. These appear in three main motif types: those of demons, symbolic animals, and abstract symbols. Many large bronzes also bear cast inscriptions that are the bulk of
7252-698: The origins of agriculture. Foothill regions and glacial melt streams supported Bronze Age agro-pastoralists who developed complex east–west trade routes between Central Asia and China that introduced wheat and barley to China and millet to Central Asia. The Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC), also known as the Oxus civilisation, was a Bronze Age civilisation in Central Asia, dated c. 2400 – c. 1600 BC , located in present-day northern Afghanistan , eastern Turkmenistan , southern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan , centred on
7350-588: The point of origin of a cultural enigma termed the Seima-Turbino Phenomenon . It is conjectured that changes in climate in this region c. 2000 BC }}, and the ensuing ecological, economic, and political changes, triggered a rapid and massive migration westward into northeast Europe, eastward into China, and southward into Vietnam and Thailand across a frontier of some 4,000 mi (6,000 km). This migration took place in just five to six generations and led to peoples from Finland in
7448-471: The pre-Germanic name Silana , it is possible that only part of the river was known as *Rūsi in antiquity; alternatively, *Rūsi has been interpreted as a purely Germanic name introduced with Germanic settlement in the early medieval period, a derivation from OHG rūsa, riusa " fish trap ". Until the 13th century, the Schöllenen Gorge was impassable, separating Urseren from Uri. Urseren
7546-588: The region laid the foundations for astronomy , mathematics, and astrology . The following dates are approximate. The Bronze Age in the Near East can be divided into Early, Middle and Late periods. The dates and phases below apply solely to the Near East, not universally. However, some archaeologists propose a "high chronology", which extends periods such as the Intermediate Bronze Age by 300 to 500–600 years, based on material analysis of
7644-473: The regional Bronze Age is the name given to the period in the 3rd millennium BC when Egyptian civilisation attained its first continuous peak of complexity and achievement—the first of three "Kingdom" periods which marked the high points of civilisation in the lower Nile Valley (the others being the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom ). The First Intermediate Period of Egypt , often described as
7742-654: The rise of the Mesopotamian civilisation of Sumer in the mid-4th millennium BC. Cultures in the ancient Near East practised intensive year-round agriculture; developed writing systems ; invented the potter's wheel , created centralised governments (usually in the form of hereditary monarchies ), formulated written law codes, developed city-states , nation-states and empires; embarked on advanced architectural projects; and introduced social stratification , economic and civil administration, slavery , and practised organised warfare, medicine, and religion. Societies in
7840-539: The rise of the Shang and Zhou civilizations." According to Jan Romgard, "bronze and iron tools seem to have traveled from west to east as well as the use of wheeled wagons and the domestication of the horse." There are also possible links to Seima-Turbino culture , "a transcultural complex across northern Eurasia", the Eurasian steppe, and the Urals. However, the oldest bronze objects found in China so far were discovered at
7938-464: The river's pre-Germanic name as Silana (whence the name of Silenen ). The Germanic name is attested as Rusa , Rusia from the 9th century (sometimes recorded as Ursa in the Early Modern period, c.f. Urseren ), from an early Germanic *Rūsi , oblique *Rūsjō- . Greule (1982) interprets the name as an Old European hydronym , directly cognate with Riß . Because of Ptolemy's record of
8036-706: The socket, which could be associated with the Seima-Turbino visual vocabulary of southern Siberia. The metallurgical centres of northwestern China, especially the Qijia culture in Gansu and Longshan culture in Shaanxi , played an intermediary role in this process. Iron use in China dates as early as the Zhou dynasty ( c. 1046 – 256 BC), but remained minimal. Chinese literature authored during
8134-506: The south, and eventually forms the east–west valley called Urseren , passing Realp at halfway through the valley at 1,540 m in eastern direction until its eastern end at Andermatt . This source is only around 5 km away from, and on the same mountain massif as the source of the Rhône, but will ultimately lead to the opposite side of the continent. Gotthardreuss and Furkareuss join at Hospental (1,446 m). Downstream of Andermatt
8232-517: The southern Korean Peninsula gradually adopted bronze production ( c. 700–600 BC ) after a period when Liaoning-style bronze daggers and other bronze artefacts were exchanged as far as the interior part of the Southern Peninsula ( c. 900–700 BC ). The bronze daggers lent prestige and authority to the personages who wielded and were buried with them in high-status megalithic burials at south-coastal centres such as
8330-614: The strategic value of the Reuss valley, as reflected in the grant of imperial immediacy to Uri and the wider political backdrop of the foundation of the Old Swiss Confederacy . The Reuss was canalised between Attinghausen and Altdorf in 1850–1863, and to the river mouth in 1900–1912, significantly increasing the arable land in the Reuss plain. A small river delta was reconstructed in 1985. After flooding in 1987, improved flood control measures were constructed during 1995–1999. A small hydroelectric plant
8428-474: The surviving body of early Chinese writing and have helped historians and archaeologists piece together the history of China, especially during the Zhou dynasty. The bronzes of the Western Zhou document large portions of history not found in the extant texts that were often composed by persons of varying rank and possibly even social class. Further, the medium of cast bronze lends the record they preserve
8526-545: The total) out of a total of 941 homes and apartments. There were a total of 13 empty apartments for a 1.4% vacancy rate. As of 2007, the construction rate of new housing units was 2.4 new units per 1000 residents. In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the SVP which received 32.5% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the CVP (31.7%), the SP (11.1%) and
8624-781: The two known as the Chalcolithic . The final decades of the Bronze Age in the Mediterranean basin are often characterised as a period of widespread societal collapse known as the Late Bronze Age collapse ( c. 1200 – c. 1150 BC ), although its severity and scope is debated among scholars. An ancient civilisation is deemed to be part of the Bronze Age if it either produced bronze by smelting its own copper and alloying it with tin , arsenic , or other metals, or traded other items for bronze from producing areas elsewhere. Bronze Age cultures were
8722-570: The upper Amu Darya (Oxus River). Its sites were discovered and named by the Soviet archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi (1976). Bactria was the Greek name for the area of Bactra (modern Balkh ), in what is now northern Afghanistan, and Margiana was the Greek name for the Persian satrapy of Marguš , the capital of which was Merv in present-day Turkmenistan. A wealth of information indicates that
8820-403: The west to Thailand in the east employing the same metalworking technology and, in some areas, horse breeding and riding. However, recent genetic testings of sites in south Siberia and Kazakhstan ( Andronovo horizon) would rather support spreading of the bronze technology via Indo-European migrations eastwards, as this technology had been well known for quite a while in western regions. It
8918-535: The written East Semitic Akkadian language for official use and as a spoken language. By that time, the Sumerian language was no longer spoken, but was still in religious use in Assyria and Babylonia, and would remain so until the 1st century AD. The Akkadian and Sumerian traditions played a major role in later Assyrian and Babylonian culture. Despite this, Babylonia, unlike the more militarily powerful Assyria,
9016-513: Was Egypt's most prosperous time and marked the peak of Egypt's power. The later New Kingdom, comprising the Nineteenth and Twentieth dynasties (1292–1069 BC), is also known as the Ramesside period , after the eleven pharaohs who took the name of Ramesses. Elam was a pre-Iranian ancient civilisation located east of Mesopotamia. In the Middle Bronze Age, Elam consisted of kingdoms on
9114-575: Was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of the three-age system , following the Stone Age and preceding the Iron Age . Conceived as a global era, the Bronze Age follows the Neolithic , with a transition period between
9212-513: Was accessible via Furka and Oberalp , and was under the influence of the bishopric of Chur . The main settlement area of Uri was the plain of the Reuss estuary Altdorf ( Reussebene ). Settlements tended to form on either side of the river, while the river itself was often taken as communal or parish boundary. The Schöllenen Gorge was made passable the 1230s, opening access to the Gotthard Pass . This resulted in an immense increase of
9310-596: Was built in Schöllenen Gorge for the construction of the Gotthard Tunnel in 1875. Larger hydroelectric plants were built at Amsteg (1922), Wassen (1949) and Göschenen (1962). The lower Reuss flows along a series of former glacial lakes. Settlements along the river were built on lateral moraines , while the river bed itself was marshy and subject to flooding, and thus unsuitable for settlement. The oldest river crossings are along terminal moraines between
9408-466: Was founded by non-native Amorites and often ruled by other non-indigenous peoples such as the Kassites , Aramaeans and Chaldeans , as well as by its Assyrian neighbours. For many decades, scholars made superficial reference to Central Asia as the "pastoral realm" or alternatively, the "nomadic world", in what researchers call the "Central Asian void": a 5,000-year span that was neglected in studies of
9506-430: Was re-routed through Windisch. Because ferries and bridges were a source of income, the construction of new crossings was opposed during the early modern period, and only one new bridge was built, commissioned by Zug, at Sins (1640). New bridges were built only after the collapse of the Old Swiss Confederacy, e.g. at Windisch (1799), Ottenbach (1864) and Mühlau (1940). By the end of the 20th century, there were more than
9604-583: Was the western neighbour of the Middle and New Hittite Kingdoms , at times a rival and, at other times, a vassal. The Assuwa league was a confederation of states in western Anatolia defeated by the Hittites under the earlier Tudhaliya I c. 1400 BC . Arzawa has been associated with the more obscure Assuwa generally located to its north. It probably bordered it, and may have been an alternative term for it during some periods. In Ancient Egypt ,
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