The Natural History Museum Vienna and the Hallstatt Salt Mine, with the support of Salinen Austria, invite you to the annual “Archaeology on the Mountain” event weekend in Hallstatt on Saturday, September 14th and Sunday, 15th September 2024 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offer an open day Door insights into the world of prehistoric miners. The main theme of this year’s event is “Hospitality in the Iron Age: Eating, drinking, celebrating like 2,500 years ago”.
Since 1846 with the archaeological excavations at the Iron Age burial ground, in which between approx. 800 and 370 BC. When the dead were buried, Hallstatt is world famous and to this day the Hallstatt high valley is one of the most exciting excavation sites for archaeologists. Thanks to salt, Hallstatt quickly became one of the richest communities in Central Europe. The extraordinary goods in the miners’ graves provide impressive evidence of this heyday. Amber, ivory and wine from the south were given to the deceased on their journey to the afterlife. These often unique finds from the mine and the burial ground make Hallstatt a key discovery site for understanding and researching our past and have contributed significantly to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This year the event weekend is all about the theme “Hospitality in the Iron Age. Eating, drinking, celebrating like 2,500 years ago.” The celebratory culture of the Iron Age is revived using the illustrations on the 2,500-year-old situ-style vessels. Dance, music, show fights, food and drink will be presented at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. – accompanied by scientific experts from the NHM Vienna and partner institutions such as the Hallein Celtic Museum. The festival’s culinary delicacies include the newly interpreted Ritschert, spiced wine from the Schnabelkanne from Dürrnberg, bacon from the mine, cheese that was stored in chip boxes à la Iron Age, the fine natural salt from Altaussee and pralines with salt flakes from the salt factory in Hallein. According to the results of music and textile archaeological research, faithfully reproduced instruments from the Iron Age and the colorful robes of the dancers provide the musical accompaniment.
Archaeologists present the latest results of investigations in the prehistoric tunnel and the richly furnished Iron Age burial ground. Miners from Salinen Austria, together with archaeologists from the NHM Vienna, ensure that access to the underground sites is preserved and thus secure this central part of the world heritage for the future (in a renovation project supported by the Republic of Austria and the state of Upper Austria ).
With the new one App SalzZeit.at Those interested can embark on a cultural and scientific journey through time. SalzZeit.at is the virtual association of 36 museums in the Capital of Culture region for a contemporary exchange of knowledge and data. Just as salt connects an entire region, SalzZeit.at connects the museums of the Capital of Culture region and in this way makes them visible regionally and nationally. The web app was implemented under the project management of Georg Tiefengraber from the Natural History Museum Vienna and Andreas Scheucher and Hannes Coelsch from Scenomedia GmbH. Users enter a three-dimensional space via computer, tablet or smartphone and navigate through the 36 museums in the Salzkammergut region. The core topics covered are salt, the timber industry, transport and folk culture. The individual areas of knowledge are visualized using 3D objects, films, animations and images and linked to information on current topics such as climate change. The virtual trip is intended to make you want to visit the museums in the Salzkammergut yourself.
“The aim of our “Archaeology on the Mountain” event is to make the interdisciplinary research work in Hallstatt visible,” explains NHM General Director Dr. Katrin Vohland. “Under the motto ‘Hospitality in the Iron Age. Eating, drinking, celebrating like 2,500 years ago’, the archaeological research areas in Hallstatt are to be presented both above and underground.” The Archeology on the Mountain event invites you to take part, try things out and discover and is aimed at interested parties and especially families.
Participation in the event is free. You have to pay for the ride up with the Salzbergbahn; Online ticket and information about the salt mines www.salzwelten.at
There is a large, paid parking lot right next to the cable car station; traveling by public transport is recommended.
Venue: “Old Forge”, Salzberg Hallstatt
Organizer: Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7; 1010 Vienna / www.nhm-wien.ac.at/hallstatt
Partner: Hallstatt Salt Mine, Salzbergstrasse 21; 4830 Hallstatt / www.salzwelten.at
Press materials for download:
https://www.nhm-wien.ac.at/presse/pressemitteilungen2024/aab_2024
Archeology on the mountain 2024: Hospitality in the Iron Age
Datum: September 14, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – September 15, 2024, 5:00 p.m
Art: General dates
Ort: Hallstatt
Austria