Posted from the trolleybus, traveling through Mirabell Platz and City Center to my Airbnb
Yesterday I arrived in Salzburg, Austria, and as I settled into the rhythm of this beautiful city, I found myself reflecting on a practice I’ve learned from Indigenous communities in North America – the importance of acknowledging the land where we find ourselves.
Sitting on the trolleybus from the train station, watching the historic buildings and the Salzach River flow past, I felt compelled to research and honor the peoples who have called this place home long before it became the Mozart-famous tourist destination we know today.
My First Attempt at Acknowledgement
This is my initial effort – I know I have much more to learn:
We acknowledge the ancient peoples who have called this land home for millennia – from the earliest inhabitants 40,000 years ago, through the Celtic Ambisontes who dwelt in the Salzach valley and were part of the Kingdom of Noricum, before the Roman conquest in 15 BC. We recognize that this land, which the Germanic tribes later called Salzburg (‘Salt Castle’), has been shaped by many peoples throughout its long history.
What I’ve Learned So Far
As I researched on my journey, I discovered that this land has an incredibly deep history:
- 40,000 years ago: The first humans, Cro-Magnons of the Aurignacian culture, made their home here when glaciers still dominated the valley
- 4,000 BC: Neolithic peoples began farming these lands, clearing forests with stone tools
- 2,300 BC – 800 BC: Bronze Age peoples discovered and began mining the salt deposits that would give Salzburg its name
- 800-450 BC: The Hallstatt culture flourished here – these Proto-Celtic peoples controlled the salt trade that made this region wealthy
- 450 BC – 15 BC: The Celtic Ambisontes lived in the Salzach valley, likely controlling the hilltop settlement (oppidum) on what is now Rainberg Hill, as part of the broader Kingdom of Noricum
- 15 BC: Roman conquest brought an end to Celtic independence, eventually founding the settlement that would become Salzburg
- Check more from here: https://seventhcoalition.org/2020/08/08/ancient-salzburg-prehistory-the-celts-and-the-kingdom-of-noricum/
Why This Matters to Me
I recognize that land acknowledgement is primarily an Indigenous North American practice addressing ongoing colonialism and sovereignty. Europe’s history is different – there’s no direct parallel to unceded Indigenous territories here. But as someone visiting this place, I believe there’s value in understanding and honoring the deep layers of human history beneath our feet.
The Celtic Ambisontes who once lived where I’m now staying didn’t just disappear – their story is part of the complex tapestry that created modern Austria. The salt they mined, the trade routes they controlled, the relationships they built and lost – all of this shaped the land I’m now exploring.
Continuing to Learn
This is just my first attempt at understanding this place more deeply. I plan to:
- Visit the Keltenmuseum in nearby Hallein to learn more about the Celtic peoples
- Explore Rainberg Hill where the ancient oppidum once stood
- Continue researching the connections between ancient peoples and modern Salzburg
- Reflect on what it means to be a visitor in a place with such layered history
I’m sharing this not as a perfect model, but as a starting point for my own learning. If others have insights about Salzburg’s ancient history or thoughts on how visitors might meaningfully acknowledge the depth of a place’s heritage, I’d love to hear them.
What does it mean to truly see a place beyond its tourist attractions? How do we honor the countless generations who have called a land home?
Currently writing from Salzburg, Austria, as I begin my journey of understanding this ancient land.
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