The Avar Cemetary of Frohsdorf

In the year 2000, a necropole from the Avar period was discovered by means of aerial archaeology near Frohsdorf, in the southeastern part of Lower Austria. This site is located on the western fringes of the Avar cultural zone. The cemetery is undisturbed and therefore fully meets the requirements for demographic analysis, as well as for studies regarding cultural exchange and environmental archaeology (in the sense of making use of the landscape). The project includes two main areas of research: The first begins with the complete excavation of the Avar cemetery of Frohsdorf, which covers an area of about 4000 m. The subsequent analysis of the finds and their context will then focus on: Analysis of the finds and their context by means of traditional (antiquarian) archaeological methods Analysis of the finds by means of archaeometric methods (especially pottery, metal objects and textiles) Anthropological analysis (especially the relative proportions male/ female and of the various age groups, as well as the diagnosis of symptoms of illness and stress) Archaeozoological analysis (especially the documentation of zoological parameters and the symbolic meaning of parts of animals as grave goods) Analysis of cultural exchange between neighbouring Avar and Slav populations within a microregion. The second main area of research includes aspects of environmental archaeology: On the one hand, it is based on the analysis of the finds from the Avar cemetery of Frohsdorf and their context, particularly those aspects which focus on the demography, chronology and the social and economic situation of the Avar population of Frohsdorf. On the other hand, it is based on environmental data (geology, pedology, hydrology, vegetation, raw material deposits, etc.) from the site. With the help of topographical information, data from neigbouring sites and theoretical models, we shall investigate the "radius of action" of the Avar population of Frohsdorf and attempt to establish both models of landscape use and the relationship between humans and nature.

In the year 2000, a necropole from the Avar period was discovered by means of aerial archaeology near Frohsdorf, in the southeastern part of Lower Austria. This site is located on the western fringes of the Avar cultural zone. The cemetery is undisturbed and therefore fully meets the requirements for demographic analysis, as well as for studies regarding cultural exchange and environmental archaeology (in the sense of making use of the landscape). The project includes two main areas of research: The first begins with the complete excavation of the Avar cemetery of Frohsdorf, which covers an area of about 4000 m. The subsequent analysis of the finds and their context will then focus on: Analysis of the finds and their context by means of traditional (antiquarian) archaeological methods Analysis of the finds by means of archaeometric methods (especially pottery, metal objects and textiles) Anthropological analysis (especially the relative proportions male/ female and of the various age groups, as well as the diagnosis of symptoms of illness and stress) Archaeozoological analysis (especially the documentation of zoological parameters and the symbolic meaning of parts of animals as grave goods) Analysis of cultural exchange between neighbouring Avar and Slav populations within a microregion. The second main area of research includes aspects of environmental archaeology: On the one hand, it is based on the analysis of the finds from the Avar cemetery of Frohsdorf and their context, particularly those aspects which focus on the demography, chronology and the social and economic situation of the Avar population of Frohsdorf. On the other hand, it is based on environmental data (geology, pedology, hydrology, vegetation, raw material deposits, etc.) from the site. With the help of topographical information, data from neigbouring sites and theoretical models, we shall investigate the "radius of action" of the Avar population of Frohsdorf and attempt to establish both models of landscape use and the relationship between humans and nature.