Ferdinand Keller (archaeologist)

He was born at Marthalen. He studied theology and natural sciences at Zurich, Lausanne, and Paris. In 1831 he was made an instructor at Zurich, and secretary of the Society for Natural Research, and in this capacity he published various works on naked rock soil and vent holes. The discovery of the sepulchral mound at Burghölzli led to the founding of the Antiquarian Society of which Keller was the longtime president, and to the founding of a museum, the growth of which was largely due to him. His most important discovery was the pile dwelling Meilen–Rorenhaab in the winter of 1853,[2][3] and in later years the settlements Zürich–Enge Alpenquai,[4] Kleiner Hafner and Grosser Hafner.[5] In 1857 a skeleton wearing bronze jewelry was unearthed near Robenhausen, and Jakob Messikommer who later discovered and researched the Wetzikon-Robenhausen settlement, reported the findings to Keller. Keller encouraged him to search for prehistoric remains.[6]

His articles on the pile dwelling were published in the proceedings of the Antiquarian Society. He also published Bauriss des Klosters Sankt Gallen vom Jahr 820 (1844), and an archaeological map of Eastern Switzerland (1874).

• Prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M., eds. (1905). "Keller, Ferdinand. A Swiss archæologist" . New International Encyclopedia (1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead. This work in turn cites:
  • Meyer von Knonau, Lebensabriss von Ferdinand Keller (Zurich, 1882)
  • Lee, The Lake Dwellings of Switzerland, and Other Parts of Europe, by Dr. F. Keller (2d ed., London, 1878).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ferdinand Keller, Archaeologist.

• Works by or about Ferdinand Keller at Internet Archive