The Bronze Age burial grounds in Franzhausen

The largest Bronze Age burial sites in Central Europe to date have been discovered in the Traisental.
Franzhausen is one of the most important sites from the Early to Middle Bronze Age (2000 to 1500 BC) in Lower Austria. At that time, the Traisental was part of the "Unterwölbling culture", which - named after the site of Unterwölbling (a small community in the Traisental) - was widespread along the Danube from Linz to around Vienna.

A cemetery of European dimensions
Due to the large-scale extraction of gravel, the Traisental has one of the highest densities of finds in Lower Austria. Two Bronze Age burial grounds are known from Franzhausen, one of which was used from the late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age (approx. 2800 to 1800 BC). From this time onwards, the Franzhausen II cemetery began to be occupied, which continued until the Middle Bronze Age. The continuous development over several centuries that can be observed here is absolutely unique and makes Franzhausen a textbook example of European dimensions.

Burial culture of the Bronze Age
The Franzhausen I cemetery has been completely excavated and contains a total of 727 graves, one of which belongs to the Baden culture, twelve to the Corded Ware and the rest to the Early Bronze Age.

In Franzhausen II, a total of 3002 objects from the Early to Middle Bronze Age were documented, but the cemetery was not fully investigated. The dead usually lay in a sideways squatting position, cremations are very rare. Robe pins and decorative plates make it possible to reconstruct parts of the costume of the time. Particularly impressive are metal brackets reminiscent of a helmet ornament, which were apparently part of a hood and identify the wearers as privileged members of the upper class.

Tip: The Prehistoric Museum in Nussdorf ob der Traisen presents some finds from the burial grounds.