Kühtreiber, Thomas

Historical archaeology examines material traces of human activity from the Middle Ages to the present day. It can thus make a particular contribution to current issues by placing them in their historical context and reflecting on their spatio-temporal and socio-cultural dynamics. I am particularly interested in how the rural countryside in Central Europe has changed since the Middle Ages and what lies behind these processes. I also seek to explore the role that objects and materials played in religious practices and what this tells us about us as human beings in relation to the world. In both of these research areas, I place great importance on diversity.

• Medieval and Modern Archaeology of Europe
• Socioeconomic Dynamics in Central European Rural Space
• Material Culture Studies
• Materiality of Religious Identities
• Treasure and Trash: Cultural Interpretation of Small Find Complexes
• The built environment: On the intersection of physical and social spaces

• 1986–1996 Academic studies at University of Vienna, Institute of Prehistory and Early History, combined with Historical Studies, Ethnology and Earth Sciences 
• 2006 Doctoral thesis "Die Ausgrabungen in der Alten Universität in Wien (1997–2002)" 
• 1992–1994 Research Fellow and Project Coordinator of the FWF-project "Der mittelalter-liche Hausberg von Lanzenkirchen, NÖ" (Lead: Karl Brunner, Institut für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung) 
• 1995–1996 Research Fellow and Project Coordinator of the OENB-Project "Die Babenberger-Burg Gars am Kamp – Pilotprojekt Baugeschichte, Geschichte und Archäologie" (Lead: Falko Daim, Institute of Prehistory and Early History, University of Vienna)
• 1994–1996 Research Assistant at the Institute of Prehistory and Early History, University of Vienna, financed by the BMWF-project "Der slawische Burgwall von Mikulčice" 
• 1997–2013 und 2020 External Lecturer for Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology at the University of Vienna, Institute of Prehistory and Early History, now Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology 
• 1997–2026 Senior Scientist at the Institut für Realienkunde des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit (Institute for Material Culture, Centre for Medieval Studies, IMAREAL), Austrian Academy of Sciences, since 2012 University of Salzburg
• 2012 Research Fellow at the Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Archaeology, Aarhus University, Denmark 
• 2014–2019 Head of the Institut für Realienkunde des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit, University of Salzburg, 2019–2026 Deputy Head 
• 2015–2019 Co-Speaker of the "Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Mittelalter und Frühneuzeit", University of Salzburg 
• 2016–2021 Co-Speaker of the "Forschungsnetzwerk Interdisziplinäre Regionalstudien (first)" 
• 2021–2023 Speaker of the first-Forschungsverbunds "Regionalitäten" 
• since September 2026 Professorship for Historical Archaeology, Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna