The first archaeological excavations on the plateau of the Frauenberg were carried out in the years 1951-1952, and encompassed the investigation of the Roman temple area with a podium temple. The region to the west of the podium temple, on the peak of the mountain, were studied during the geophysical prospection of 2000 and the excavations carried out by the OEAI in 2002-2004. The Frauenberg, with traces of settlement of the Copper Age, is one of the most significant prehistoric find-spots in Austria; towards the end of the Urn Field Period and in the earlier Iron Age, it can be concluded that an extensive hilltop settlement existed here. The oldest settlement finds documented in the area excavated between 2002-2004 date to the early Hallstatt culture (Hallstatt C2).
In the 2nd century B.C., an extensive central site, fortified by a wall at least in the late Latene period and with its own coin mint, stretched across the mountain chain. The finds of simple buildings with workshops for the processing of metal (excavation area 2002-2004) belong to the 2nd century B.C. The settlement possessed two cult areas, namely the cult area of Perl-/Stadläcker located on a trapezoidal spur of land to the south-east of the mountain chain, and the cult sanctuary, excavated by the OEAI, on the peak of the Frauenberg.
The sanctuary on the mountain peak was set up after an extensive re-organization of the settlement area. In addition to the roofed-over Cult Building 1 (circular post hole locations) and a pit house, post hole locations and rectangular pits were spread out over an area measuring at least 234 m², which can be compared to cult sanctuaries in Manching and Gournay-sur-Aronde. The finds point to the celebration here of cult meals, and the deposit of intentionally broken table-ware, in particular wine amphoras.
In the Augustan-early Tiberian period, Cult Building I was replaced by a considerably smaller circular building. This was abandoned shortly after its construction, and succeeded by a longitudinally oval structure with a central pit (Cult Building 3). The oval building displays strong affinities with the Gallic cult buildings of Acy-Romance (Temples I-III), Bazoches, and Bucy-le-Long. Continuity in cult practices is evidenced by the deposit of quartz debris as well as pottery discs, and the usage of drinking cups imported from Italy; the presence of these cups can be correlated with the oldest period of the sanctuary.
In the mid- to late-Tiberian phase of the cult area, regressive tendencies can be recognized: a large, roofed-over cult building was rejected in favour of simple posts and pits. The almost complete absence of the drinking vessels, which had been so heavily represented in the previous periods, and of the deposit of quartz debris, as well as the increased presence of cooking ware, indicate an alteration in cult practices.
In the Claudian-Neronian period, the construction of a rectangular building in stonework occurred for the first time. The transformation of this predecessor into the Flavian temple with surrounding porticoes took place in the period of provincialisation around the mid-1st century. The usage of stone wall work in a period in which wooden construction was still predominantly the norm is noteworthy, and underscores the Frauenberg's function as a central site. The ground plan of the cult structure corresponds to a slightly trapezoidal-form rectangle with an area of 65 m². Around the cella, numerous fireplaces have been found; the frequency with which they were leveled out suggests a high frequency of cultic activities. The location of these fireplaces, surrounding the cella, precludes the existence of a (covered over) surrounding portico; this situation is comparable with that of the Gallic cult sanctuary of Bennecourt and of Gournay-sur-Aronde, where an oval building was converted to a rectangular one in the mid-1st century B.C., which was later provided with a surrounding portico. The large number of drinking vessels suggests that drinking bouts formed a specific element of cult activities. Coins, and elements of traditional costume, can be interpreted as remains of dedications left by cult visitors. Such a practice of making "pars pro toto" deposits is a common phenomenon at the Gallic cult sanctuaries of Fesques, Bennecourt, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Gué-de-Sciaux, Bolards, and Martigny. The discovery of medical implements provides evidence for medicinal practices, not uncommon in religious sanctuaries.
During the Flavian period, the conversion of the structure, which until that point had been a single cella, into a temple with surrounding porticoes occurred (Cult Building 5). The measurement of the exterior wall rectangle or surrounding portico attains 24.3 × 22.7 m., while the surface area of the cella, with proportions of 1:8.5 in relation to the entire area of the cella, is relatively small. Numerous temples with surrounding porticoes, for example the double temple at Naves, provide evidence of overly wide porticoes in relation to their cellas.
In the Trajanic period, the cult area was enclosed by a temenos wall, and was converted into a temple sanctuary of Roman design. The construction of a Roman podium temple represented a significant break with Celtic traditions; at the same time, however, the making taboo of the Celtic cult area, up until the replacement of the classical podium temple by an early Christian church in the 4th century A.D. speaks for a society characterized by tradition and conservatism. A multi-room, heated, non-sacred structural lay-out belongs to this later period; the foundation walls of the temple with surrounding porticoes were used during its construction.

Picture Captions
Fig. 1: Excavations of 2004, in the temple area on the Frauenberg (© ÖAI, St. Groh)
Fig. 2: 3-D reconstruction of Cult Building 1 on the Frauenberg (© ÖAI, St. Groh)
Fig. 3: View of the temple area on the Frauenberg (© ÖAI, St. Groh)

Bibliography:
St. Groh - H. Sedlmayer, Der norisch-römische Kultplatz am Frauenberg (Österreich), Protohistoire Européenne 9 (2005).
St. Groh - H. Sedlmayer (eds.), Blut und Wein. Keltisch-römische Kultpraktiken. Akten des vom Österreichischen Archäologischen Institut und vom Archäologischen Verein Flavia Solva veranstalteten Kolloquiums am Frauenberg bei Leibnitz (Österreich), Mai 2006, Protohistoire Européenne 10 (2007).
St. Groh - H. Sedlmayer, Späteisenzeitliche und frührömische Kulte auf dem Frauenberg bei Leibnitz, in: F. W. Leitner (ed.), Götterwelten. Tempel, Riten, Religionen in Noricum, Katalog Landesmuseum Kärnten (Klagenfurt 2007) 35-38.