Archives are a part of our cultural heritage. Archaeological archives provide information concerning our relationship with the monuments of the past, which we study. Two aspects stand in the foreground here: on the one hand, gaps in research can be filled by unpublished material, while on the other hand archives, in their function as "memory", document the history of each research institute and the people connected with it.
Also in the archives of the OEAI, basic materials concerning the history, and the excavations and research, of the Institute are preserved. These are archives which are oriented towards scientific knowledge, and although mainly for the use of the Institute's members, they may also be consulted by those without affiliation to the Institute.

The archives are divided into four areas:
Document archive - written material
Image archive - photographs and slides
Plan archive - plans
Epigraphic archive - collection of squeezes

DOCUMENT ARCHIVE

The material preserved in the Document Archive (primarily written material, but also illustrative material, for example photographs for which no negatives exist; furthermore, drawings and photographs pertaining to original excavation documentation) stems for the most part from the research and administration activities of the Institute itself.
1. Administrative material (records, minutes, accounts), which above all contains sources for the history of the Institute, its sister branches, and its staff.
2. Scientific material, which originates from the scientific work of the OEAI, above all from its excavation activities (excavation journals, notes, manuscripts, correspondence, drawings, sketches, photographs). This material is organized according to a topographical point of view: within Austria (alphabetically according to federal states and sites; focal point: Carnuntum), and foreign material (focal point: Turkey, Ephesos).
3. The estates of the former directors and scientific employees, material which wherever possible remains closed as such, and which contains extremely heterogeneous material: supportive material for their research activities, scientific and personal correspondence, personal documents, and photographs. Amongst others, archival material from the estates of the following is preserved: Fritz Eichler, Rudolf Egger, Franz Miltner, Camillo Praschniker, Emil Reisch, Hermann Vetters, and Otto Walter.

IMAGE ARCHIVE

The material preserved in the pictorial archive almost without exception reflects the research activity of the Institute, and contains above all the photographic documentation of the excavations carried out by the OEAI, from its foundation until today.
Amongst the collection of negatives the ca. 10,000 glass plate negatives deserve special mention, images taken from the beginning of the excavations at Ephesos up until the 1950s. Currently, the storage of this historically important visual collection is being relocated. In accordance with modern archival procedure, the plates will be packed in folded envelopes and preserved in special archival boxes. During the course of this work, the images will be digitally recorded.
The collection of negative film of different formats (ca. 108,000 negatives, mostly black and white) from the 1950s up until today contains above all excavation photographs and the documentation of the different groups of finds.
The slide collection (ca. 82,000 pieces) also offers, in addition to general images concerning the excavation activities of the Institute (overviews, images depicting or including individuals, important finds, etc.), visual material originating from research journeys undertaken by Institute employees. For reasons of mobility and the smaller circle of users, the detailed slides of the individual research areas are organised in file binders according to topic.
Recent years have seen a considerable growth in the number of negative films and slides; since 2002, these have been replaced in part with digital photographs.

PLAN ARCHIVE

The plan archive of the OEAI contains around 10,000 drawn documentations of excavations, overview plans, maps, reconstructions of architectonic objects, architectural fragments, geodetic materials and much other material, in original pencil, inked drawings, and copies. Amongst the oldest objects are landscape watercolours and ink drawings of diverse buildings, of particular documentary and art-historical value. The plans originate from excavations of the OEAI from the late 19th century up until today, from diverse provinces of the Roman Empire, from Austria, from the Balkans, from Greece, with the vast majority from Ephesos.
The plans are organised according to format, and each is archived in tubes, acid-free cardboard files and hand-made envelopes, and stored in metal boxes. The library of plans was modernised in 2006 with the installation of a gallery.
Access to the plan archive is granted without exception by the curator, who fetches the desired plans from the archive for viewing. The originals remain on principle in the Institute, and may be accessed there for analysis. By request and when possible, copies of previously-published plans may be ordered.

EPIGRAPHIC ARCHIVE

The OEAI also maintains an archive in which squeezes (paper and latex) of most of the Ephesian inscriptions are preserved. Squeezes from other excavations and research journeys of the OEAI are also kept here. Professional colleagues both from Austria and abroad may view this material upon request.

Picture captions
Fig. 1: Brief Theodor Wiegands an Otto Benndorf (Priene 1. Oktober 1897), in dem Vereinbarungen für einen Besuch Benndorfs getroffen werden (ÖAI Inv. 1897/7.3)
Fig. 2: Ephesos, Freilegungsarbeiten in den Thermen am Staatsmarkt (ÖAI Inv. II 437)
Fig. 3: Detail eines Mosaikbodens einer frühchristlichen Kirche auf dem Hemmaberg in Kärnten. Zeichnung im Skizzenbuch des Ausgräbers Hans Winkler (1907) (ÖAI Inv. 1907/1)


REPRODUCING ARCHIVAL MATERIAL

Material for which the OEAI holds the Copyright may be used for publications by outside institutions, publishers, or individuals, if there are no further restrictions. Reproduction fees will be charged.

Reproduction fees (rtf-file)