The dream of being able to research under water is an old one. As early as 1854, the geologist Adolphe Morlot dived in the pile dwellings of Morges at Lake Geneva. His only aid: a diving helmet made of zinc sheets.

100 years later, underwater research at Lake Constance began in Unteruhldingen. Newly developed rubber suits, masks and compressed air cylinders made it possible to map and photograph pile fields under water. The systematic research at the bottom of the lake also yielded new finds from lower-lying pile dwelling settlements. Logboats and ancient watercrafts from Lake Constance and the Upper Swabian lakes were discovered and recovered.

From the 1980s onwards, pile dwelling settlements at Lake Constance were systematically examined and documented. Waterproof drawing boards, spray bars to improve visibility and underwater cameras were among the equipment used in diving excavations. Waterproof drawing boards, spray bars to improve visibility and underwater cameras were among the equipment used in diving excavations.