Volunteers sought to analyse 7,000-year-old pottery finds

A new research project is seeking volunteers to help archaeologists analyse pottery from a 7,000-year-old settlement at Asparn/Schletz in Lower Austria. ORF reported that participants can help document finds, work in a laboratory and take part in fieldwork.

The settlement in the Weinviertel is one of Central Europe’s most significant early Neolithic sites. It is known for human remains that point to a large-scale violent event. Many other objects excavated there between 1983 and 2005 have not yet been analysed or published.

Researchers say volunteer help is needed because the volume of finds exceeds what one person or research team can assess with the time and resources available. Participants will enter finds into a database, draw and photograph them, and may also help analyse materials in the laboratory, take sediment samples in the field and reconstruct ancient production methods. No prior experience is required, but volunteers should be interested in archaeology and willing to learn and work hands-on.

The project will focus on pottery, which researchers say can help date settlement phases and houses and reveal the raw materials used, daily life and regional and wider exchange links. The team will also investigate where people obtained clay, including by drilling beneath the surface because deposits used in the past may now be covered.

The project is due to start next year and run until 2029. Volunteers must be available to contribute for at least 10 weekdays. They will discuss, interpret and present the findings with researchers. Registration is available at reclaym.at.