From the extensive remains of the former Benedictine Monastery and later Castle Mondsee, the excavations carried out by the National Monument Commission and the OEAI have resulted to date in numerous pieces of evidence of great interest: individual finds date back to the 4th millennium B.C., when Mondsee lake was at a much higher level than today. With the discovery of broken pieces of pottery belonging to the Oberlauterbach Group, Mondsee is to date the southeastern-most lying site by far of this group whose central settlement was located in lower Bavaria. Additional finds from the mid- to the late-neolithic periods, amongst others a wedge-shaped axe made of green-stone, as well as finds from the Bronze Age and the Urn Field Culture provide firm evidence for the continuous habitation of this area. Settlement evidence of the late Celtic period is also provided by a few sherds of graphite pottery.
Building activity at the site is first attested during the Roman period, when, after simple wood structures, a complex (the so-called Blumenhof) was erected in the 2nd century A.D., a complex which easily conforms to a country villa (belonging to a wealthy inhabitant of Iuvavum?). The analysis of the finds, which is being carried out for all phases by A. Kaltenberger, reveals that the earlier structure fell victim to a fire during the course of the invasions of the Marcomanni in ca. 170-175 A.D.
Walls of the Roman site were later used as the border of a cemetery, which at the earliest was laid out in the 10th-11th centuries A.D. and which included children (19%) and women (14%), thus being civilian in nature.
In the late mediaeval period, the monastery was extended in the north: wooden granaries and stables were constructed, and a "Women's Garden" (northern administrative courtyard) laid out. Opposite these, monumental buildings arose in the north-east (the "Refectory", etc.).
In the 17th century, a horse pool in the form of a clover leaf was sunken in the area in front of the stables, which however was already filled in again by about 1750, in the course of major renovations; at this time this space attained the appearance which it has retained until today, even though the great fire of 1774 and the slightly later secularization of the monastery brought with them major structural changes.
In connection with the earlier buildings of the north-west tract of the "Schloss", ceramic wares dating to the high and late mediaeval period were excavated, wares whose evaluation is currently being undertaken. In Administrative Building I, a secondary filled-in pit was uncovered, in which were discovered finds such as earthenware, ceramic tiles, and glass dating to the early modern period (second half of the 16th century to 17th century). The infilling of the horse pool represents an additional complex of significance; it served a secondary function as a limepit during the renovations of the monastery.
Current research concentrates on the exact analysis of the excavated earthenware which was discovered in great quantity during the excavations at the monastery. First of all, the repertoire of forms produced locally and in the near vicinity will be worked out with the wares used. Additionally, the imported wares, for example from Kröning, from Obernzell near Passau and from Peterskirchen, will be documented.
Since extremely valuable ceramic wares such as polychrome glazed earthenware or faience - as one would expect for a wealthy monastery - have not yet come to light, the preserved archives of the Mondsee Monastery have been looked through, and the menu from the years 1538/39, 1632 and 1730 have been found. The evaluation of this material, in comparison with that of the Monastery of St. Peter preserved from the year 1730, revealed that to a large extent, the convent of Mondsee was offered the identical menu as were the personnel of the monastery of St. Peter. This would be a possible reason why only simple earthenware dishes were served. The simple meals required no extravagant tableware. The Abbot ate, in general, separated from the convent far in a way better meals, which he enjoyed from tin plates.

Picture Captions
Fig. 1: Mondsee, axiometric drawing of the horse-pond (St. Karwiese)

Bibliography:
G. Forstenpointner - A. Hassl - A. Kaltenberger - F. Kaltenberger - St. Karwiese - I. Müller, Die Grabungen des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts im ehem. Benediktinerkloster ('Schloß') Mondsee. V. Interdisziplinäre Auswertung des Inhaltes einer neuzeitlichen Jauchenkiste, JbOÖMV 144, 1999, 99-151.
A. Kaltenberger, Die Grabungen des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts im ehem. Benediktinerkloster ('Schloß') Mondsee. I. Römerzeit, JbOÖMV 140, 1995, 7-55.
A. Kaltenberger, Die Grabungen im ehem. Benediktinerkloster 'Schloß' Mondsee. Fundvorlage I. Urgeschichte und Römerzeit, ÖJh 65, 1996, Beibl. 209-274.
A. Kaltenberger, Die Grabungen des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts im ehem. Benediktinerkloster ('Schloß') Mondsee. III. Die frühneuzeitliche Malhornware, JbOÖMV 141, 1996, 187-227.
A. Kaltenberger, Speisen und Tischkultur im Kloster von Mondsee vom 16. bis ins frühe 18. Jahrhundert, in: 1250 Jahre Kloster Mondsee. 'Ausstrahlung eines Klosters' (1998) 20-38.
A. Kaltenberger, Die Grabungen des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts im ehem. Benediktinerkloster ('Schloß') Mondsee. IV. Ein archivalischer Beitrag zu den Speisegewohnheiten im Kloster. Die erhaltenen Speisezettel der Jahre 1538/39, 1632 und 1730, JbOÖMV 143, 1998, 53-153.
St. Karwiese, Mondsee, in: 100 Jahre Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut, SoSchrÖAI 31 (1998) 169.