The cemetery of Inzersdorf ob der Traisen (Handl gravel pit, Inzersdorf-Getzersdorf, district St. Pölten), was located a few kilometres south of Getzersdorf. It is a vast cremation cemetery which was mainly used in the Hallstatt A period and at the beginning of Hallstatt B (c. 1200–900 BC). In total, 273 graves were excavated in 1981–1983 and in 1987 under the direction of Dr. Johannes-Wolfgang Neugebauer. In addition to the graves, eleven circular and one square ditch with central graves – presumably enclosures or boundaries of grave mounds – were found. The boundaries of the cemetery in the area of the gravel pit could not be identified due to adverse conditions of the rescue excavations.

In addition to the largely circular grave pits, there were some rectangular-shaped grave pits, some with stone packing. Of particular note among the latter there was a series of more richly furnished graves, such as Grave 39. The hilt of a tanged knife of Dašice type and a bronze cup of Friedrichsruhe type suggest that the burial dates to Hallstatt A1. The numerous vessels and bronze objects provide an important contribution to our understanding of the grave goods and burial customs of this period.

Current Publications

  • M. Lochner, Eine Mehrfachbestattung mit Keramiktrommel aus dem älterurnenfelderzeitlichen Brandgräberfeld von Inzersdorf ob der Traisen, Niederösterreich. In: I. Szathmári (Hrsg.), An der Grenze der Bronze- und Eisenzeit. Festschrift für Tibor Kemenczei zum 75. Geburtstag, Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum 2015, 339–351.
  • M. Lochner, Bestattungssitten auf Gräberfeldern der mitteldonauländischen Urnenfelderkultur. In: M. Lochner, F. Ruppenstein (Hrsg.), Brandbestattungen von der mittleren Donau bis zur Ägäis zwischen 1300 und 750 v. Chr. Cremation Burials in the Region between the Middle Danube and the Aegean, 1300–750 BC. Symposium Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 11–12 Februar 2010. Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission 77, Veröffentlichungen der Mykenischen Kommission 32, Wien 2013, 12–32. (Inzersdorf Grab 39: 16–18, Abb. 3).
Principal Investigator
  • Silvia Renhart (anthropology)
  • Herbert Böhm (zooarchaeology)
Duration

since 2008