Although the Alpine tribes are described as wild or savage by the classical authors, their material culture was sophisticated, as it was predominantly of the La Tene variety, which is characterised by advanced metal-working techniques and of elaborate metal artwork. Indeed, the eponymous La Tene site is in the Alpine region, on Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland. La Tene gradually replaced the pre-existing Halstatt culture in the eastern Alps in broadly the same period as that region was infiltrated by the Celts (c. 400 - 200 BC). Some scholars thus regard La Tene as a specifically Celtic culture, although most recent experts reject the linking of material culture to ethnic groups. In any event, by the time of the Roman conquest, the entire Alpine region was predominantly La Tene, including patterns of settlement (mainly hillforts) and funerary rites (mostly cremation).