The earliest evidence of modern humans (Homo sapiens) in Austria comes from the Upper Paleolithic, around 40,000 years ago. Notable finds concentrate in the Wachau region of Lower Austria, where two famous figurines were discovered. The Venus of Galgenberg, dated to about 32,000 years ago, and the Venus of Willendorf, from 26,000 years ago, are among Europe’s oldest known works of art. In 2005, a 27,000-year-old double infant burial from the Gravettian culture was found near Krems, offering rare insight into early human rituals.
During the Mesolithic, populations adapted to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle in areas such as the Alpine Rhine Valley and Lake Constance, using microlithic tools. These people began the gradual transition to farming and settled life.
The Neolithic era saw the establishment of agriculture and permanent settlements. The Linear Pottery culture spread through Lower Austria, with one of the earliest known villages found at Brunn am Gebirge. At this time, people also began extracting raw materials, as seen in Austria’s oldest mine at Mauer-Antonshöhe, in Vienna’s Liesing district.
By the Copper Age (around 3,300 BCE), human activity expanded into the Alps, and hilltop settlements became common in the east. A key figure from this era is Ötzi, the Iceman—a well-preserved mummy discovered in the Alps near the Austrian-Italian border. He lived around 3,300 BCE and provides valuable information on early human life in the region.
The Bronze Age saw an increase in mining, trade, and fortified settlements. Communities thrived by extracting and trading copper and tin, with artifacts from places like Pitten and NuĂźdorf ob der Traisen illustrating their wealth. The Urnfield culture, emerging toward the end of the Bronze Age, initiated salt mining in Hallstatt, which became a critical economic resource.