Renovations of football fields near Vienna, Austria recently revealed an important – albeit grim – archaeological find: a mass grave dating from the first century CE and the Roman Empire. The grave contained the skeletons of potentially more than 150 soldiers. According to archaeologists, the discovery is as dark as unique and it can offer unexpected new insights into life on the Roman border at the peak of the power of the nation.
The city of Vienna has been around for hundreds of years, but its history extends even further in the past. About 2000 years ago, Rome’s troops stretched to present -day Austria and established several military outdoor posts in the region. One of the largest garnishes was a settlement that is known as Vindobona on the Danube River, and it eventually grew to 16,000 to 20,000 inhabitants. Rome eventually Left Vindobona to the Hunnen In 433 CE, and the outpost was then abandoned for centuries. However, experts only have historical combat accounts in the region prior to this and no direct evidence.
In October 2024, a construction team came across a sea of ​​skeleton -like remains while working on renovations to a football field in the adjacent town of Vienna. Archaeologists from the Vienna Museum soon visited the site and confirmed the extraordinary: a mass grave of at least 129 individuals, but probably much more. Further analysis confirmed that the bodies belonged almost exclusively up to 20 to 30 -year -old Roman legionaries, all of whom seem to show evidence of fatal combat injuries by spears, swords, daggers and bolts.
But no matter how surprising this discovery is from a daily perspective, it also turned out to be difficult for archaeologists. As history showsRome was not known for the lack of military campaigns. But until the fourth century CE buried Romans not even bodies. Instead, they cremated them.
“In the Roman Empire there were strict funeral rituals, and precise rules had to be followed for the time after death,” said Kristina Adler-Wölfl, the head of Vienna of Archeology, in a declaration. “Because cremations were common in the European parts of the Roman Empire around 100 AD [CE]Inhumations are an absolute exception. The finds of Roman skeletons from this period are therefore extremely rare. “
“In the context of Roman war acts there are no similar finds of hunters,” Dig -leader Michaela Binder added on April 4 Arkeonews.
Historical reports report several battles between Roman troops and Germanic tribes on the border of Danube during the regime of Emperor Domitian (81-96 CE). These brought his successor, Keizer Trajan (98-117 CE), to expand the Vindabona fortification limits, later known as the Donube Limoenen.
“The mass grave in Sudderen is the first physical proof of fighting from this period and indicates the location of a battle in the area of ​​present -day Vienna,” said archaeologist Martin Mosser.
According to Mosser, the Massagravesite can be directly related to the decision of Emperor Trajan to strengthen the defense in the area after the Germanic conflict.
Archaeologists are planning to dig up the grave, as well as to perform DNA and Isotopic analyzes to better understand the living conditions of the warriors. Over time, the unique discovery can also expand and clarify what we know about Roman history in the first century.
“In Vienna people are always willing to meet Roman traces as soon as a sidewalk opens or the earth opens,” said Veronica Kaup-Hasler, the executive city councilor of Vienna for culture and science. “Vindobona finally laid the foundation stone of our city.”
More Deals, Reviews and Purchase Guides
