The origins of the Archaeological Collection of the Wien Museum stretch back to the late 19th century and are closely linked to major urban development projects that were realized around that time. This construction work led to the uncovering of archaeological layers that had accumulated since the emergence of the first prehistoric settlements in the Vienna area around 8,000 years ago.
In the intervening decades, around 165,000 archaeological finds in the form of ceramic, glass, metal, and other objects have been recovered from these layers and now form a valuable archive of the history of Vienna and the everyday lives of its earlier inhabitants. The research work of the Archaeological Collection takes place in close cooperation with the Stadtarchäologie Wien, which also carries out the excavations within the city of Vienna.
