Natural History Museum Vienna (NHM) Members

Kayleigh SAUNDERSON

I am a textile archaeologist primarily conducting research at the Archaeological Textiles Lab at the Natural History Museum Vienna from a wide variety of periods and regions. My focus ranges from fibres to reconstructions, meaning that I investigate raw materials of fibres and using scanning electron microscopy as well as possible trace elements of mordants for dyes. By researching thousands of textiles up to now in the Lab, we have been able to create massive datasets on the technological data of textiles, which allow for relevant statistical analyses. Furthermore, I work with experimental and public archaeology, reconstructing textiles/clothing and presenting our research and our knowledge of past identities to the public, whereby communicating current topics of the textile industry with its environmental and social impacts are of importance.

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Natural History Museum Vienna (NHM) Team Leaders

Karina GRÖMER

I am the  head of the Department of Prehistory, Natural History Museum Vienna. As an archaeologist, I study the material culture of the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age in Central Europe, including theoretical aspects like identity, innovation and creativity, functional design theory, visual coding, design concepts, sociological and semiotic studies.  My focus research is on technological, economic and social aspects of  textiles with interdisciplinary research on artefacts from graves, settlements and saltmines, covering a timespan from 2500 BC till 1000 AD and a geographical area from Central Europe to Iran.. I have also the aim  to bridge gaps between research institutions (Universities, Academies) and cultural heritage institutions and am active in various dissemination activities.

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Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology (IUHA) Team Leaders

Alexandra KRENN-LEEB

Since 1995 I have been teaching and researching as an archaeologist (assistant professor) at the Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology at the University of Vienna on the Neolithic Period, Copper and especially the Bronze Age with a focus on social, environmental and landscape archaeological issues. As director of studies, I am responsible for the curricula and all study matters. My main research interests are identity, mobility & tradition of Bronze Age populations, human ecology of the Copper Age, deposits in the context of space and ritual, ritual violence, conflict archaeology.    

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