proto-history, and he was followed by Herbert Mitscha-Märheim, Herwig Friesinger, and Falk Daim. Proto-history was still not recognized as a separate discipline as late as 1952, as is shown by the fact that Mitscha-Märheim’s venia legendi (right-to-lecture qualification) from the University of Vienna included the awkward title “non-Roman archaeology of the first millennium in Central Europe.” In 1949, a Conseil du Haute Moyen-Age (Council of the High Middle Ages) was formed in Linz, and members included, among others, Wilhelm Albert R. von Jenny, Rudolf Egger, Erich Zollner, and Mitscha-Märheim.

Thanks to the systematic study of Germanic, Avar, and Slavic finds by Friesinger and students of Mitscha-Märheim (who succeeded to the chair formerly held by Pittioni in 1978), the state of proto-history publications is relatively good. Peter Stadler’s studies on the seriation of Avar cemeteries have broken new ground, methodologically speaking, in terms of both chronology and spatial analysis. A series edited by Daim entitled Studien zur Archäologie der Awaren [Studies in the Archaeology of the Avars] publishes work by many colleagues in countries east of Austria. Close cooperation with the Institut für österreichische Geschichtsforschung (Institute of Austrian Historiography) has been particularly stimulating and has led to important discussions of ethnogenesis as well as to academic conferences in neighboring countries, including the regular symposia on Ausgewählten Problemen der Frühgeschichte [Selected Problems of Protohistory].

One of the first articles on medieval ceramics was by Beninger (Beninger 1958), and for this reason he can be considered a pioneer in the field of medieval archaeology. Later scholars active in this area included Hertha Ladenbauer-Orel, for city and church excavations; F. Felgenhauer, who founded an archive for medieval archaeology; and Pittioni, who in 1976 proposed the creation of a Kommission für Mittelalter-Archäologie (Commission for Medieval Archaeology) within the Prehistoric Commission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. In 1989, Sabine Felgenhauer completed a doctorate in medieval archaeology, and in 1992, Daim was appointed to an extraordinary professorship in proto-history and medieval archaeology at the Institute of Pre- and Protohistory of the University of Vienna.

The roots of the archaeology of the modern era go back to the terms Industriearchäologie (“industrial archaeology”) and Gasthausarchäologie (“inn” or “hotel archaeology”) introduced by Pittioni in 1968 and 1969, respectively. Thereafter, rescue excavations took place in advance of major building projects in, for example, Salzburg and Vienna. In 1989, Spindler’s activities in this regard were recognized institutionally with the establishment of an Abteilung für Mittelalterarchäologie und Neuzeitliche Archäologie (Department of Medieval and Modern Archaeology) in the Institute of Pre- and Protohistory. Methodologically speaking, “modern” archaeology remains closely linked to medieval archaeology. Industrial archaeological investigations have been particularly important along the Steirisch rail line, and practitioners in this field have recently investigated battlefields and remains of World War II. The significance of such sites was discussed at a symposium convened in 1990, but most participants were sceptical of their worth.

Protection of Monuments

With respect to archaeological excavation and the protection of sites and finds, the highest civic authority in Austria is the Bundesdenkmalamt, which succeeded the Zentralkommission zur Erforschung und Erhaltung der kunst- und historischen Denkmale (Imperial Central Commission for the Investigation and Preservation of Historical and Artistic Monuments). The role of the Department of Sites is to make determinations regarding the protection of endangered sites and monuments as well as to organize and carry out salvage excavations in Austria. However, because of a general policy of not using consultants, the personnel of the department are often overworked. Other duties, consistent with those of monuments authorities elsewhere, include the maintenance of a country-wide registry of all archaeological sites as well as assistance with conservation and restoration projects. Normally regional archaeologists (e.g.,