Naturhistorisches Museum Wien

Dr.

Beate Maria Pomberger

Position: associate scientist

Function:

Music archaeology
Research into prehistoric and early historic metallic idiophones (bells, rattling pendants, pellet bells)
analyses, find situation and development of prehistoric and historic musical instruments, acoustics, archaeoacoustics
experimental archaeology: reconstruction and construction of musical instruments and their playing techniques

Contact:

beate.pomberger@nhm.at

Since 2024: associated scientist at the Natural History Museum Vienna, Music Archaeology
2020-2023: ‘Metallic Idiophones between 800 BC and 800 AD’, FWF project T 1136-G, - Hertha Firnberg-Stelle, NHM Vienna
2019: Music recordings for the EU project ‘Journey to the Beginnings’, for the composer Ljubomir Nikolic (Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, Serbia)
2012-2019: Collaboration on the research project ‘Winserion Image Database Montelius’, (NHM Vienna and the Austrian Academy of Sciences, input of image data of prehistoric of prehistoric objects and sites
2017/18: Bells and bells in the Avar Kaghanate: occurrence, use and acoustics
2016/17: Bass tones in the Neolithic? On the investigation of musical listening habits in the Stone Age in the Middle Danube region
2015: Metal times. Or: the hierarchisation of society. Film by Petrus van der Let. Aschaffenburg, Alibri
2011: Sound recordings for the CD ‘Sitularia - Sounds from the Hallstatt Period’ (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
2010-2014: Rediscovered sounds. Musical instruments and sound objects from the Neolithic period, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman Imperial Period in the area between the Salzach and the Danube Bend

2007 - 2017: Lecture-concert series ‘Music & Archaeology’, at the NHM Vienna and the City 2007: Foundation of the ensemble ArchäoMusik Vienna (prehistoric sounds)
Since 2014: Freelance music archaeologist, musician, singer
2009-2014 Doctoral studies at the University of Vienna (Institute of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology) Doctorate with honours - Award of the academic degree: Doctor of Philosophy (Dr. phil.)
2003-2009 Diploma studies at the University of Vienna (Pre- and Early History) with honours completed, graduation - award of the academic degree: Magistra der Philosophie (Mag. phil.)
2006 Foundation of the working group Music Archaeology, ÖGUF
2006: Foundation of the ensemble Ars serena (ancient and medieval music)
Since 1990: Freelance singer and musician on stage and in concert (Europe, China, Argentina)
1987 -1990: Studied song and oratorio at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Graduated with a concert diploma;
1982-1987: Studied architecture at the Vienna University of Technology
1981-82: Studied stage design and costume, University of Applied Arts, Vienna, guest student

Publications:
See Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3366-0924

Symposia/ Conferences:

Scientific meeting on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the journal “Archeometriai M?hely” – AM20, Budapest 2024 (Pomberger)
International Medieval Congress Leeds 2023:
“Visual codes and sound fields in Early Medieval eastern Central Europe. Case study Avars in the 6th till 8^th century CE”. (Grömer/Pomberger).
“Sounds wrapped and worn – Aspects of Avar period identity as shown by pellet bells and dress”. (Saunderson).
AG Eisenzeit Tagung 2022, Jena - „Mit Nadel und Faden: Schmuck, Tracht und Kleidung in der Eisenzeit / Aktuelle Forschungen“.
„Visual codes, haptics and soundfields of Hallstatt period clothing - analysing sensory aspects“. (Grömer/Pomberger).
Linzer Eisenzeit-Gespräche 2022, Linz
„Performative Aspekte in der Hallstattzeit – Körpersprache, Bewegungen, Geräusche und Symbolik“ (Grömer/Pomberger).
ICTM - Congress der International Study Group on Musicarchaeology 2021, Berlin: “Metallic Idiophones between 800 BC and 800 AD in Central Europe – Their Function and Acoustic Influence in Daily Life”. (Pomberger).
Webinar – Archaeological Approaches to Dance Performance: Methods and Persperctives. LE SCIENZE DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURALE on AIR 2021.
„Dance in Hallstatt Culture. From iconography to choreography – an experiment” (Pomberger/Grömer).
Mitteleuropäische Archäologietagung 2021, Halle/Saale: Magisches Denken als Kulturkonzept. „Musik und Magie in der Prähistorie“. (Pomberger).

2018/12: Contact and Transfer in the Music Culture of the 5th-12th Century A.D. between Byzantium and the Latin West, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany
2017/08: Music in the Stone Age. XV Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on Music Archaeology & Workshop of the European Music Archaeology Project (EMAP), Ljubljana, 24.-26.8. 2017, Prešeren Hall/Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2016/04: Long Night of Research, University of Innsbruck, Austria
2014/07: International Symposium of the Polish Academy of Sciences Pozen, Muzeum Archeologiczne Biskupinie, Poland
2012/10: Museum für Archäologie, Frauenfeld, Canton Thurgau, Switzerland
2010/10: International ÖGUF-Symposium, Natural History Museum Vienna, Austria

Teaching:

Since 2016: Guest lecturer at the University of Vienna: Music Archaeology, Experimental Archaeology University of Vienna/Institute of Prehistory and Historical Archaeology
School workshops in music archaeology
2024: Guest lecturer at the University of Graz