Time and tradition in the Traisen Valley. A preliminary analysis of chronological and cultural variations in the Early La Tène cemeteries

The Lower Traisen valley has been recognised as one of Austria’s most important La Tène period landscapes. While excavations of cemeteries and settlements continue, only a modest number of sites have so far been thoroughly published and analysed. These analysed sites provide a great opportunity to investigate the processes behind the transition from the Hallstatt to the La Tène period and how the local population adapted to the new cultural influences. As the number of researched sites constantly grew the impression arose that the cemeteries differ typologically from each other, even though they lie within a relatively small area. This study demonstrates that some of these distinctions reflect a minor chronological difference, while others may result from different reasons. Those reasons might include different population groups and a different response to technological change. So far, both theories can be argued. However, together with currently ongoing anthropological and aDNA analysis, as well as the discovery of new sites this article shows what potential the cemeteries of the Lower Traisen valley present for archaeological research and how further evaluations might continue