The fortified hilltop site of Gars-Thunau and the settlements of the 9th and 10th centuries AD in Lower Austria

Abstract

This article presents results from the current investigation of the fortified hilltop settlement of Gars-Thunau (Lower Austria). The site was, in the 9th and 10th centuries AD, situated in the border regions of the East-Frankish Empire, Moravia and Bohemia. In addition to the early medieval occupation, evidence of a number of earlier occupation phases is present at the site. These include a late Bronze Age fortification, parts of which were re-used during the construction of the 9th–10th-century fortification ramparts. Current research has identified six early medieval settlement phases in Gars-Thunau. A multi-phase manor farm is situated in the central part of the site. It is preceded and followed by settlement phases that display a different spatial structure. The features and finds excavated at the site indicate the presence of a military and social elite at Gars- Thunau. The second part of the article provides a concise summary of the archaeology of settlements contemporary with Gars-Thunau from the territory of Lower Austria.