The Avar burial ground of Frohsdorf

The burial ground from the Avar period near Frohsdorf, in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria is located on the western periphery of the Avar cultural zone. The cemetery is undisturbed and therefore fully meets the requirements for demographic analysis, as well as for chronological studies, studies regarding cultural exchange between neighbouring Avar and Slav populations within a micro region and environmental archaeology (in the sense of making use of the landscape). The burial ground of Frohsdorf has a lot of expensive created and well fitted out graves of an evident wealthy population. Following well accept chronology systems these graves can be dated predominantly in the 8th century. Because of so far hardly recognised categories of archaeological finds (entomological specimens) and / or features (wooden coffins) we have gained new aspects in the field of dead- and burial rites. Through systematic analysis of entomological specimens we could receive new knowledge regarding to the duration of lying-out the dead. Fire manipulation at wooden coffins has caused new, yet unexplained questions in the field of burial rites. A lot of organic finds (textiles and leather) supplement the so far poor imagination about the clothing of the Avar period. On one hand inorganic equipment components (metal and pottery finds) of the graves fit typologically to our knowledge about the Avar culture. On the other hand especially women`s jewelry shows overlapping to that of the close Slavic necropolis of Pitten very clear. This realization is completed by the results of the analysis of pottery. The vessels from Frohsdorf and those from neighbouring Slavic sites show typologically differences. Raw material types and the types of manufacturing technology partly can not be distinguished. These results support hypothesises about at least a partly contemporanity of Avar and Slavic cemeteries and populations at the western periphery of the Avar khaganate. Therefore so far accepted chronology systems of the early medieval period should be reconsidered. Moreover these results document an intensive interaction between populations of different cultural affiliation. Within the project, expressed questions shall be answered on a most extensive database, which requires the excavation of the complete necropolis, by archaeological-typological, archaeometrical and computer-supported statistical methods.

The necropolis from the Avar period near Frohsdorf, in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria is located on the western periphery of the Avar cultural zone. The cemetery is undisturbed and therefore fully meets the requirements for demographic analysis, as well as for studies on land use through a population and for studies regarding cultural exchange between neighboring Avar and Slav populations within a micro region.The cemetery which was completely archaeologically excavated and documented during two fwf-funded research projects has 501 lavish and well-equipped graves. On the basis of common chronology schemes these graves are dated mainly into the 8th century AD. By so far hardly registered archaeological groups (entomological specimens) and / or features (wooden coffins), new aspects of mortuary and funeral rites, which are closely linked with social structures, have been gained. Especially a detailed analysis of the wooden coffins provided new results for the field of mortuary and funeral rites. The same also applies to the evaluation of the animal remains.Many textile and leather finds supplement the so far poor imagination of clothing of the Avar period. Beside various weaving techniques in some cases also the function of clothes (e.g. outerwear or underwear) could be determined. On one hand the inorganic grave goods (metal, ceramic and glass finds) fit typologically to our knowledge about the Avar culture. On the other hand especially women's jewelry show significant overlaps to that of the close, culturally Slavic necropolis in Pitten. These results support hypotheses about at least a partly contemporaneity of Avar and Slavic cemeteries and populations at the western periphery of the Avar Khaganate. Therefore so far generally accepted chronology schemes for the early middle ages have to be reconsidered.