"In this coherent ecosystem where the muddy shelves (alternately above and below water level) are as important as the islands, pile-dwellings, fishing villages and rice-fields need to be protected no less than the palazzi and churches." (OUV) - "Those fleeing barbarian invasions who found refuge on the sandy islands of Torcello, Iesolo, and Malamocco, in this coastal lagoon, learned to build by driving closely spaced piles consisting of the trunks of alder trees, a wood noted for its water resistance, into the mud and sand,[52][53] until they reached a much harder layer of compressed clay. Building foundations rested on plates of Istrian limestone placed on top of the piles." (wiki)

"This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from around 5000 to 500 B.C. on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands." (UNESCO description)

'China Jetties' in Georgetown: "There is also a large harbour area, partly on reclaimed land, with piers and clan jetties, a unique form of settlement with timber houses on stilts clustered around a jetty." (AB ev)

"The existence of Struga is connected with several fishermen settlements on wooden piles situated along the lake shore....Similar pre-historic pile dwelling sites have also been identified in the western margins of the Lake." (OUV)