Stone coffin grave from the Ostrogoth period discovered in Pörtschach.

Not bad were the archaeologists’ astonishment when, at the end of March and beginning of April 2024, they examined a stone coffin grave in the immediate vicinity of the ruined castle Leonstein in Pörtschach on Lake Wörthersee. In the approximately 1 m² grave, remains of 20 individuals had been buried secondarily, who lived at the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th century AD. The project was carried out collaboratively with the Association Erlebnis Archäologie and is set to continue next year.

Figure 01: Excavation leader Florian Mauthner (Erlebnis Archäologie) shows complete dedication.

Figure 01: Excavation leader Florian Mauthner (Erlebnis Archäologie) shows complete dedication.

Figure 02: Pieces of the skeleton came to light after a tree was knocked down by the wind.

Figure 02: Pieces of the skeleton came to light after a tree was knocked down by the wind.

Funding providers:

Abbildung 02: Selbst heute ist es noch möglich, Überreste der ehemaligen römischen Hauptstraße zu sehen, wie die römische Straße hier in Ledenitzen (Foto: Laura Pösendorfer)Roman road research in Carinthia
Abbildung 2: Übersichtsaufnahme des potenziellen Flusshafens.Emmersdorf - Down by the River
Published On: 23. May 2025Categories: completed, Research excavation

About the Author: Laura Pösendorfer

Laura Lucia Pösendorfer, MA BA, completed both a bachelor's and a master's degree in Classical and Provincial Roman Archaeology at the University of Graz. Her research interests lie in the cultural mediation of archaeological topics, the study of Roman small finds, and settlement archaeology. Professionally, she gained experience as a fieldwork team member and deputy excavation director on various projects in Styria and Carinthia. Additionally, she works as treasurer for the non-profit association Archaeological Research Network Innsbruck, supervises amateur archaeologists, and served as deputy curator of the Argentum Museum.