Wirtschaftlich-soziale Struktur der Kelten im Traisental

Aim of this project was to work out social structures and economical basics of the latène age inhabitants of the Traisen valley in Lower Austria. This could happen by the synthesis of typology-archaeology and natural science methods which means an enormous step in the research of the Iron age in austria. Beginning with the cemetery of Pottenbrunn, which is running from the late Hallstatt age the the middle Latène period, this project was the possibility to see the relation between already worked out settlements and cemeteries in the Traisen valley. This and the planned research with anthropological, metallurgical, zoological, chemical and botanical methods was a big step for the archaelogical research. Because of this, it is possible to show this region in international contexts. It seems that the cemetery of Pottenbrunn had a very prominent position in the Traisen valley. This is represented by graves with special artefacts. So we could see many graves with swords, this of an "druid" and of a metal- worker. Also the burials of women showed artefacts of high quality, like a silvered pendant and rich decorated fibuilas, which shows the connections to northern Italy and the region Swiss-Champagne. One of the results of the natural sciences is this of smithing technology of iron artefacts. So we could see that the swords of this cemeteries has been made of bars which has been foldes up and welded. The cutting edges were hardened by hammering.