During the first three geological ages ( Precambrian, Paleozoic and the Mesozoic )life in its many forms evolved and spread across the earth. In the fourth Era, the Cenozoic , the land and life forms of modern times reached their present state. It was at the beginning of this period that the Alps were pushed up.
Most of the Alpine rocks started as sedimentary that was laid down in an ancient sea called Tethys. Then part of the Earth's crust moving slowly northward folded this sea bottom against some ancient mountains. When cracking occurred in the folding of the Earth's crust, molten rock welled up to form high, rugged mountains now known as the Alps. As these new mountains cooled, moisture-laden winds brought rain and snow. The snow accumulating above 9,500 feet (2,900 meters), turned to ice, and then flowed down the valleys as glaciers. At lower levels the ice and snow melted, creating the great rivers such as the Rhine. The young Rhine then cut a channel through the mountains and found its way to the North Sea. The valley in which most of Liechtenstein lies, was formed this way.
Then came man. Humans migrated from the rift valleys of Africa to the other continents and evolved to the species Homo sapiens that dominates the world today. During the last million years of the Cenozoic, our human ancestors in Europe lived through five ice ages when polar ice and glaciers increased greatly and covered Europe halfway to the Mediterranean. It is thought that prehistoric man settled in the Liechtenstein Rhine Valley around 5000 BC. The Rhine flooded a lot then and most of today's lowlands were swamps. Prehistoric man would have built his home on the higher ground on both sides of the river.
Various scattered finds at the village of Mauren suggest that one of the first prehistoric settlements was built here during the Neolithic age. A huge stone block on which implements were worked has been found on the Eschnerberg. Nearby, fragments of prehistoric earthenware pots have been uncovered. Prehistoric man lived on the hill where the present day Guttenburg castle sits. A beautifully preserved dagger of delicate design has been found there. A bronze figure called the "Mars of Gutenberg" along with little, half man and half woman figurines and small bronze animals were also excavated from the Gutenberg and surrounding high areas.
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