In the case of excavation work on the property of the Kocsar-Riezinger family on Seestrasse in Hallstatt, important archaeological layers were uncovered: medieval terrace walls, a Roman fire layer with coins, bricks and vascular fragments as well as up to one meter mighty layers from the Latène period (younger iron age). Around 1,000 found objects from different times have recently been recovered.
The archaeologist of the NHM Vienna also achieved a spectacular find: Under a prehistoric rock fall, neolithic shoe meal fragments, blades, animal bones and ceramics came to light – about 7,500 years old. These are the oldest known traces in Hallstatt to date, which prove that the place was populated much earlier than previously assumed. Already the first farmers and cattle breeders with a sedentary lifestyle, which from 5,600 BC. BC appeared in Central Europe for the first time, penetrated – coming over the rivers like the Traun – to the Salzkammergut in Hallstatt. The reason for this was probably the salt deposits.
On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the NHM Vienna together with the Museeal Association Hallstatt, the municipality and the UNESCO World Heritage management will present the results of the excavation – from 6:00 p.m. on the forecourt of the Museum Hallstatt (Seestraße 56, 4830 Hallstatt).
Hallstatt, which gave its name to a European culture era (800-450 BC), is an important archaeological hotspot, not only with the important burial ground in the Salzbergtal and the exciting finds in the salt mine, but also in the village itself.
The Natural History Museum Vienna has been researching in close cooperation with Salinen Austria AG and Salzwelten GmbH as well as the municipality and the museum association in Hallstatt for over 100 years.
For several years now, archaeologists of the NHM Vienna have been accompanying various construction measures in coordination with the Federal Monument Office and the UNESCO World Heritage Management Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut, as well as on the property of the Kocsar-Riezinger family, where he was already dug on the neighboring property in 1991.
Thankfully, the excavation could be carried out with the support of the property owners, the executive construction company and with a promotion of the Federal Monument Office.
You can find pressing materials for download at the following link:
https://www.nhm.at/presse/pressemitteilungen2025/HallstattJungsteinzeit
OTS original text press release with the exclusive in terms of content of the sender – www.ots.at | Nhm