In the municipality of Langkampfen in the Lower Inn Valley, a previously unknown settlement from the Middle and early Late Bronze Age was uncovered during archaeological excavations in 2020. The site, consisting mainly of a find-rich layer and four presumed fireplaces, probably represents the southern edge of a formerly larger settlement in the area known today as 'Am Sonnenhang'. More than 30 kg of pottery fragments were recovered from the site, which typologically belong to the Inner Alpine Bronze Age and have close parallels, particularly in the area of Grisons (CH) to Salzburg (AT) and in Bavaria (DE). By systematically collecting sediment samples, archaeobotanical samples and charcoal were also obtained for scientific analyses. The analysed crop remains and charred amorphous objects as probable remains of food preparation support the interpretation as a Bronze Age settlement. A total of six radiocarbon dates derived from charcoal samples and a charred bean confirm the chronological attribution of the find complex to the 15th-13th century BC. The presence of nummulites in some ceramic fragments allowed a preliminary identification of the clay deposit used for pottery production, which can probably be linked to the Angerberg layers found at Angath. The discovery of this settlement and its comprehensive documentation helps to close a find and research gap for the Metal Ages in the Lower Inn Valley.
Excavations at Zgornje Radvanje in Maribor (NE Slovenia) between 2007 and 2008 uncovered an Early Copper Age Lasinja Culture settlement with a distinctive circular layout. This study re-examines the settlement's topography and architecture, placing it within the broader Early Copper Age context to achieve a better understanding of Lasinja Culture settlements in the southeastern Alpine region. The settlement's central area, situated on higher ground, featured predominantly post-in-ground structures, while larger pits and sunken-featured structures ('pit houses') dominated the outer zones. Radiocarbon dating confirms that these architectural forms were contemporaneous, yielding some of the earliest known Lasinja Culture dates. This provides the first radiocarbon-dated evidence of two distinct architectural types coexisting in the region during this period. Comparisons with contemporaneous sites in the southeastern Alpine region, the western Pannonian Plain, and northern Croatia reveal shared traits, such as the prevalence of post-in-ground structures of rectangular ground plan (though without foundation ditches in the southeastern Alpine region), alongside regional variations. These findings advance understanding of Lasinja Culture settlement patterns and architectural diversity.
The rediscovery of two unusual graves from the Vienna Central Cemetery that can be dated to the 5th century provides new insights into a period of transition in the early Middle Ages. A reassessment of the archaeological findings and the anthropological and zoological remains from 1921 suggests not only early medieval, but also La T & egrave;ne period burial or settlement traces. The re-evaluation of the second grave, found in 1930, revealed that a ritually broken composite bow was placed in the grave of the deceased individual. The central element of the bow provides an insight into the manufacture and use of such offensive weapons in the late Roman army of this period.
The Linear Pottery cemetery of Kleinhadersdorf (Lower Austria) is one of the oldest and best researched in Austria. Already during the excavations in the late 1980s, it was assumed that it was the burial site of a local population, although a connection to a specific settlement could not be clarified. In order to investigate this hypothesis, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology carried out large-scale magnetic surveys in the surrounding area. The results revealed an extensive multi-phase settlement with at least 40 buildings. Most of the houses are classic medium-to large-sized Linear Pottery buildings with distinct post positions and a northeast-southwest orientation. Further anomalies in the survey area suggest that the cemetery was larger than previously thought. In 2020 and 2021, two of the buildings were investigated in more detail through targeted excavations. The excavations confirmed the accuracy of the geophysical data interpretation and provided evidence of a later occupation of the site in the Lengyel period. Here we present the results of the extensive archaeological investigations and their comprehensive integrative interpretation, discussing the unusual position of the settlement in the landscape, its internal structure and economic foundations.
This study examines the subjects of archaeology, ancient history, and prehistory and early history at the Austrian universities of Vienna, Graz and Innsbruck during the Nazi era and in the years before and after it. It provides a first overview of the three universities and the associated networks and institutions relevant to the subjects. After an overview of the research history of these disciplines, the political conditions under which research and teaching took place at the universities during Austrofascism, the Nazi era and the early years of the Second Republic are presented. Biographical sketches of the representatives of these subjects and their areas of specialization reveal the focus at the universities and the varying degrees of involvement of the teaching staff in National Socialism. Research and teaching were adapted to varying degrees to the Nazi demand to pursue 'science in the national sense'. There was practically no resistance; the majority of professors in the inter-war period were already German nationalists. The expulsion of academics from universities for racist or political reasons in 1938 and the failed denazification in 1945 are also discussed. Ethnic thought patterns also continued in archaeology and ancient, pre-and early history into the Second Republic.
The aim of the 'Lost or Found?' project (2021-2023) was 1) to obtain a systematic sample of micro-archaeological finds from rescue excavations throughout Austria and 2) to evaluate the charred plant remains, fish remains and metallurgical micro-residues in their archaeological settlement and feature contexts. The focus was on prehistoric settlement features from the Mesolithic to the Iron Age, whereby as many of Austria's federal states as possible were to be considered. A total of 673 samples were collected from 25 sites in seven states. A number of sites are multi-period, so samples from a total of 43 settlement periods are available. The analyses of the first 233 samples are presented in this article. In the general part of the analysis, the frequencies and find densities of various categories of microfinds (charcoal, charred plant remains, 'charred amorphous objects' [charred remains of processed plant-based food], flint, fish bones, metal finds and slag) are discussed. On the basis of the comprehensive sample, diachronic and feature-related differences can be demonstrated. In the special section, the most important findings for each individual site are summarised. From a cross-excavation perspective, the potential of microarchaeology in the discovery of 'invisible' activities becomes particularly apparent. Finally, recommendations for the integration of microarchaeological sampling into the practice of professionalised rescue excavations are formulated.
The Late Bronze Age is marked by an increasing homogenization of material culture and burial customs. The cemetery of Inzersdorf, situated in the Lower Traisen Valley, Lower Austria, serves as a case study to examine diachronic changes in burial practices. This paper interprets radiocarbon data from 49 calcined human bone samples and employs correspondence analysis of grave contexts. The carefully integrated dataset enables the precise delineation of the cemetery's chronological structure in relation to the burial practices, which include body-sized graves, graves encircled by ditches and urn graves. Insights into rituals or ancestral veneration emerge from temporal discrepancies in graves with multiple occupation. The analysis indicates the cemetery's early origin in around 1400 BC, at the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age, and identifies two peak phases of activity before burial practices decline in around 950 BC. The integration of typo-chronological markers, 14C data, and comparisons with nearby contemporary cemeteries reveals a complex temporal framework, emphasizing the fluidity and regional variability of burial practices. This challenges assumptions of a linear development in mortuary rites and establishes an absolute and a relative chronology of the Late Bronze Age for eastern Austria.
Ancient DNA has revolutionized the fields of archaeology and anthropology. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the field of kinship studies. This report provides a reflection on a recent workshop focused on exploring non-biological kinship in light of recent aDNA research. It presents a summary of reflections by workshop participants that emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for future research on ancient kinship.
In addition to the historical information they provide, object biographies enable a better understanding of the relationships between people and objects. In this way, both networks of people and institutions and their development can be depicted from the perspective of an object. In this paper, the biography of the replica of a so-called baton of command from the study collection of the Institute for Prehistory and Historical Archaeology at the University of Vienna is presented. This biography provides an insight into the antiquities and replicas trade, as well as into the networks between scholars, collectors and dealers in the 19th century. The biography of the replica not only traces the founding of Austrian prehistoric research and archaeological teaching in Vienna, but also reveals contacts between the first Austrian prehistorians and a French antiquarian named Eug & egrave;ne Boban, who became known worldwide for selling fake crystal skulls. From the perspective of the object, we also see a change in the value of replicas from their prime in the second half of the 19th century to their loss of importance in modern times. Despite their marginal role in collections, replicas can still make a significant contribution to the history of science and also afford museums the opportunity to provide more interactivity for visitors and to increase their engagement with the exhibition's theme.
In October 2024, a mass grave dating to the 1st-2nd century AD was discovered during construction in Wien-Simmering, Austria. Excavations revealed 129 men buried without systematic orientation or positioning and displaying extensive perimortem trauma through projectiles, sharp and blunt weapons. Recovered equipment associates the men with the Roman military, though the historic background of the event remains to be determined through further research.
In 2007, the remains of an extended Roman villa rustica, only partially known from old excavations, were detected through high-resolution GPR measurements at Oberlienz-Lesendorf (Austria). The archaeological prospection was conducted by the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS) in collaboration with the DeArcheo Prospections. Despite the important discovery, the Roman villa in Oberlienz-Lesendorf was not further investigated in the years that followed the GPR survey. In this article the main steps of the GPR survey are described. Attention is focused on the GIS-based archaeological interpretation of the data through the 3D approach. An optimised workflow, based on the efficient integration of ArcGIS with 3D modelling software (3D Studio Max and necessary comparisons with a few Roman villas in Austria and Gerwas concluded in 2017.
