My name is Florian Messner and currently I'm writing my PhD in medieval archaeology at the University of Innsbruck. In my work I aim to thoroughly examine all extant swords from the 10th to the 15th century from the region of historical Tyrol. In addition to materials-related analyses, forging-related investigations, and blade morphology, I would like to extensively research the recorded swords in terms of their geometric construction.
As part of my archaeological field work I researched in a leading position i.e. the late medieval castle area of Sachsenburg (Carinthia, Austria), the gallows of Kufstein (Tyrol, Austria), the siege of Kufstein 1504 by Maximilian I., a plaque burial at Telfs (Tyrol, Austria) or a crashed fighter plane from 1944 (Hohenthurn, Carinthia, Austria). As member of the University of Innsbruck I hold also regularly lectures with focus on late medieval and early modern age archaeology. Here I try to sharpen the students for how things are made and used for, from everyday objects up to castles and cathedrals.
Main focus of research: Weapons and armour from the Middle Ages and the Modern Age, history and archaeology of warfare from the Stone Ages to the 20th century, experimental archaeology (forging, armour making, iron processing, leather- and woodworks), re-enactment of the Middle Ages (focus on Viking Age), historical European martial arts, archaeology and history of the death penalty in Tyrol (Austria) and South Tyrol (Italy)
