Österreichische Zeitschrift für Kunst und Denkmalpflege LXXIX, Heft 1

Looking back on the expert discussion, it can be stated that ‘monitoring in archaeology’ is only a stand-alone topic if archaeological monuments have fundamentally different characteristics than ‘normal’ architectural and artistic monuments: however, this applies to a large number of the best-preserved archaeological monuments, namely those that are unexcavated and therefore hardly observable.

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From 2020 to 2022, the Austrian Archeological Institute, the University for Applied Arts (Institute for Conservation and Restoration), and the Austrian Federal Monuments Office implemented a project to determine the conditions of the restored or conserved wall segments of the main building of the Roman Villa Heidwiesen in Bruckneudorf. The ensuing recordings were completed by a model conservation carried out as part of a thesis at the Institute for Conservation and Restoration. A monitoring sheet for periodic damage assessment was also created as part of a citizen science project, and its applicability was tested.

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The project “Eternity in stone? Roman stone artifacts in wind and weather” documents and evaluates the state of preservation for nearly 400 Roman stone monuments that are kept outside of museums in Styria. In addition to photos and 3D data, improved descriptions have been incorporated into the international database Ubi Erat Lupa (lupa.at). The results reveal that storing the stone under shelter (preferably indoors) is key to their long-term preservation. Weathering, frost, biogenic growth, and mechanical stress repeatedly endanger the rock formation. The 3D documentation digitally captures the current state, allows for precise analysis, and is used as a basis for conservation projects. In addition, 39 new stone artefacts are introduced, as well as some objects that were already known but not yet recorded in the database.

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Unlike the monitoring performed for pile dwelling sites, World Heritage monitoring that went beyond visual inspec-tions was long deemed unnecessary for the Limes, since archeological finds and features in mineral soils, such as those prevalent in the “Frontiers of the Roman Empire”, are not at great risk. In Germany, therefore, the focus was on improving the knowledge of the monument by using noninvasive survey methods. In light of climate change and rapid technological advances, various approaches were used at the three partial sections of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” (Antonine Wall, Hadrian’s Wall, and Upper German-Raetian Limes). On an international level, UNESCO, ICCROM, ICOMOS, and IUCN have invited the World Heritage Sites to carry out a comprehensive monitoring of their management structures with a toolkit they developed.

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Carnuntum, the largest archeological landscape in Austria, has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Danube Limes” since 2021. Although most Roman buildings that exist today are hidden in the ground, the few free-standing monuments, like the building structures maintained underground, are under constant threat from harmful environmental influences or building and infrastructure measures. So, a concept for monitoring using a three-part action plan was developed as an indispensable preventive measure for protecting and maintaining historic buildings. It includes periodic site visits and restorative investigations, as well as surface surveys or geophysical studies in the outdoor areas. In recent years, the monitoring project focused on a Roman aqueduct and Heathens’ Gate (Heidentor). Currently, work is also mainly being performed to create the foundations for a thorough reconstruction of the historic buildings of Carnuntum.

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After the prehistoric pile dwellings were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2011, management structures for protecting, researching, and conveying knowledge about these archaeological sites was established in all participating countries. The monitoring of sunken sites plays a central role in the management plans. Since cataloguing and documenting underwater were widely discontinued in Austria in the mid-1990s, new structures had to be created in this country with the founding of the Kuratorium Pfahlbauten (board of curators for pile dwellings) in 2012. Annual condition checks show that various animal and plant species, human activity, and acts of nature can be hazardous to monument conservation. Moreover, the increasing challenges through climate change and invasive species highlight the need for more comprehensive monitoring and a strategic conservation plan for all of Austria’s underwater cultural heritage.

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Styria’s archeological monument landscape is strongly characterized by distinctive burial mounds stemming from various historical periods. The Hallstatt Period burial sites of the Burgstall Necropole, for example, have long been known as typical ground monuments, and their density and shape make them nationally unique. But there are also a number of burial mounds from the time of the Roman Empire whose shapes range from smaller groups of two to three burial mounds up to burial sites that are more spread out, which can contain hundreds of individual objects. The data provided by the Styrian government really helps the monuments office support this significant monument category. Comparing the aerial images of different flight periods can reveal changes in the cultivation of the affected areas of land whose effect on the monuments can be examined using laser scanner data. This procedure is demonstrated by using a few case examples.

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Rock paintings in the Northern Limestone Alps have been documented by the Austrian Federal Monuments Office and by ANISA, the Association for Alpine Research, since 2016. The documentation aims to record the almost 1,000 famous rock painting stations, which contain around 30,000 to 40,000 individual images, in a digital land register that will capture each rock painting in its state of preservation as of the documentation date and provide information on its contents. Moreover, there are plans to create a database in the future. As a temporary solution, a keyword index of the rock painting stations included will be created in Word and PDF formats. The rock painting documentation is seen as groundwork for further scientific research. Between 2016 and 2024, 950 rock painting stations were documented and 900 finding reports were created (equal to 18,000 A4 pages when printed). These were printed out for further archiving. In addition to documenting their current state, protective measures are necessary for the rock painting stations. However, those stations represent a transient cultural heritage that is jeopardized by outside influences such as weathering and human activity. Therefore, ANISA gives data only to designated specialists at the individual stations who strive to research the rock paintings and are dedicated to protecting the monuments. The visual inspection will be possible after the work is completed beginning in 2026.

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The Hallstatt Prehistoric Salt Mine is a very special landscape for findings. Through the salt-laden environment and the lack of oxygen and UV radiation, all the objects the miners left behind in the last millennium have been perfectly preserved and lend themselves well to analysis. At the same time, however, this means great challen-ges in restoration and conservation. In the mine, the findings and features are exposed to the pit climate, which is primarily influenced by humidity—the most important factor connected with salt. In addition, the climate is changed by the presence of humans during research work or tours. In 2021, extensive climate monitoring began in the mine to study the influence of the pit climate on the archaeological sites. The article describes the method and presents the initial results of the investigations.

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The Kainach necropolis lies on the orographic left bank of Kainach, close to its estuary into the Mur River. During multiple excavation campaigns, several hundred cremation graves were discovered, and just as many urns and funerary objects were recovered using block excavation. A total of 513 primarily prehistoric objects were documented, and around 15% of the grave inventories were completely restored and preserved. Recovery, packaging, and continual ob-servation (monitoring) are crucial if long-term interim storage is to succeed while conserving the state of preservation, a fact that is already described in the standards for the conservation treatment of archaeological finds. But storing block excavations over the long term with no opportunity to view the condition of the grave findings involves risks. As shown by the extreme example of Grave 218, with carefully packed block excavations and under suitable storage conditions, the recovered condition of grave findings can be maintained over a long period (in our case, over 17 years).

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With its frescoes and mural surfaces measuring around 100 to 150 m2 maintained in situ, Magdalensberg Ar-cheological Park is one of the rare witnesses to Roman mural and fresco techniques. Beginning in 2018, the frescoes and murals maintained there were monitored and conservation measures were carried out periodically. This was because of the at times massive decay of individual stucco fragments and water damage in Room K, which contained high-quality murals. The goal is to implement a periodic conservation plan guaranteeing the preservation of the sometimes directly weathered stucco and high-quality murals while limiting the degree of damage and making it controllable.

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For 25 years, the Austrian Federal Monuments Office has documented a rapid deterioration of the marble surfaces of the Roman stone wall in Seggau Castle. However, ultrasound measurements show that no weakening of the material can be recognized yet in the depths of the marble. The studies were carried out visually (using digital photography, the naked eye, and a magnifying glass) and haptically (using hands, a resonance ball, and tapping). The Austrian Federal Monuments Office urgently recommended conservation measures for a total of 46 visible surfaces, and minimal interventions were needed for 52 surfaces. In June 2016, the Department for Conservation and Restoration of the Austrian Federal Monuments Office began a conservation campaign with trial and sample work. This was followed by additional evaluation and conservation campaigns in 2017 and 2018. The Roman stone artifacts of Seggauberg can be seen as a primary value bearer of antiquity in Styria. The goal is to preserve the surviving object unaltered as much as possible. To that end, the narrative of the Roman wall must stay in sight—in its perception and in its historical source value.

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As the son of the famous painter and decor artist Makart in Vienna, Hans Makart the Younger (1870–1946) was the first photographer in Austria employed on behalf of the Ministry for Culture and Education in the service of monument protection. He held this office for many years and at that time became the most important photogra-pher of the book series “Austrian Art Topography”. After founding his own workshop in 1902, he began working for the imperial Central Commission for the Research and Preservation of Art and Historical Monuments in 1904. By giving lectures and participating in exhibitions, he helped to publicize monument preservation. During World War I, he worked to protect Austro-Hungarian art at the southwest front in Friuli. In 1919, he became technical director in the newly founded state photography office, which maintained a close collaboration with the office for historic monument preservation. Here as well, his primary activity was dedicated to photographic documentation for topographic inventory taking.

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