Immo Trinks

Immo Trinks is Associate Professor (Privatdozent) at the University of Vienna and Head of the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science. He coordinates a comprehensive teaching programme in archaeological prospection, archaeometry and scientific documentation, and leads large-scale geophysical projects across Europe.

Education & qualifications:

• Dipl.-Geophys. (Diploma in Geophysics)
• PhD (awarded)
• Habilitation (Privatdozent, Austrian post-doctoral lecturing qualification)

Research interests revolve around non-destructive mapping of buried archaeological landscapes. He specialises in ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry and multi-sensor robotic platforms, developing workflows that fuse high-resolution geophysical data with 3D archaeological interpretation. Coastal wetlands, Roman towns, Viking harbours and prehistoric pile dwellings serve as key study areas.

Recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward automated, large-coverage surveys and multi-method data fusion. Papers in 2022-2025 report motorised GPR arrays on snow-covered fields, semi-autonomous driverless systems, and integrated interpretation frameworks that combine magnetics, GPR and remote sensing to reveal Roman military compounds, Etruscan cities, Swedish war camps and Neolithic monumental landscapes.

Scientific awards & honours:
No specific awards are listed in the supplied text; however, his continuous funding and invited keynote contributions (e.g., ArchaeoProspection conference series) indicate international recognition.

Teaching & student supervision:

• Regular courses: Introduction to Archaeological Prospection, Archaeometry, Magnetic Prospection, GPR Practical, Underwater Prospection, Human Evolution & Archaeological Science, LaTeX for Archaeologists
• Excursions: 2-day field schools at Alpine pile-dwelling sites and around Vienna
• Thesis seminars: continuous Master Thesis Topic Search & Exposé and final thesis colloquia every semester

Labs & facilities:
Trinks heads the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science (VIAS), operating several motorized multi-channel GPR systems, high-resolution magnetometer arrays, electromagnetic induction sensors, underwater sonar and multi-spectral cameras. The institute maintains dedicated GIS/visualisation labs and field vehicles for pan-European surveys within the international ArchPro and Stonehenge Hidden Landscapes initiatives.