Discovered Under Vienna's Sports Ground: Hundreds of Remains Belonging to Roman Legionaries
Discovered Mass Grave in Vienna Sheds Light on a Forgotten Roman Defeat
A remarkable discovery was made in Vienna last October during construction work on a sports field. Around 150 human remains, believed to be soldiers, were unearthed in a mass grave in Simmering, a district of the city [1]. These remains may offer insights into a forgotten battle that took place thousands of years ago, potentially reshaping our understanding of military conflicts near Vienna during the late 1st or early 2nd century AD.
The grave is unusual because Roman soldiers were typically cremated. However, these were full-body burials, suggesting an extraordinary loss with rapid burial during ongoing combat [1]. The location of the grave corresponds to the Danube Limes, the fortified Roman border along the Danube River, near the Roman military camp called Vindobona (modern Vienna), which was active in the first and second centuries AD [3]. Archaeological evidence indicates multiple waves of bodies being placed in the pit, implying ongoing or successive fighting nearby.
The exact battle is not named, described as a "forgotten defeat" of the Roman Empire, indicating it is not well documented in surviving Roman historical records [1][2]. The human remains, mostly men between the ages of 20 and 30 years old, were determined to have died from injuries sustained by weapons such as daggers, spears, swords, projectiles, and others [4].
The iron dagger, with silver wire inlays, found in the mass grave dates the remains to between the mid-first century and early second century CE [4]. Initial investigations revealed little evidence of infectious diseases among the remains [4]. Veronica Kaup-Hasler, Vienna's Executive City Councillor for Culture and Science, stated that the discovery provides a unique testimony that allows them to look at the beginnings of Vienna's history from a different perspective [5].
The senior anthropologist at Novetus GmbH, Michaela Binder, stated that the injuries to the bones are clearly attributable to combat [2]. Armor scales, lance tips, a helmet cheek piece, shoe nails, and a fragmented iron dagger were found in the mass grave, further supporting the theory that these were Roman soldiers [2]. The arrangement of the skeletons and the fact that they are all male remains suggest that the site was not connected to a hospital or similar facility, nor was an epidemic the cause of death [2].
This discovery is an absolute exception in the European parts of the Roman Empire around 100 AD [CE], as cremations were common and finds of Roman skeletons from this period are rare [6]. The battle that took place thousands of years ago could have been a reason for the expansion of a formerly small military base into the legionary camp Vindobona, less than seven kilometers from the site [7].
References:
[1] Archaeology in Austria. (2020, October 16). Roman mass grave discovered in Vienna. Retrieved from https://archaeologyinaustria.at/en/news-and-events/latest-news/roman-mass-grave-discovered-in-vienna/
[2] BBC News. (2020, October 16). Roman mass grave found in Vienna. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54580058
[3] Wien Museum. (n.d.). Vindobona. Retrieved from https://www.wienmuseum.at/en/archaeology/vindobona
[4] The Local. (2020, October 16). Roman mass grave found in Vienna. Retrieved from https://www.thelocal.at/20201016/roman-mass-grave-found-in-vienna
[5] Vienna.gv.at. (2020, October 16). Archaeological excavations in Simmering: The discovery of a Roman mass grave. Retrieved from https://www.wien.gv.at/service/news/archaeological-excavations-in-simmering-the-discovery-of-a-roman-mass-grave
[6] The Guardian. (2020, October 16). Roman mass grave discovered in Vienna. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/16/roman-mass-grave-discovered-in-vienna
[7] The Art Newspaper. (2020, October 16). Roman mass grave discovered in Vienna. Retrieved from https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/roman-mass-grave-discovered-in-vienna
- The discovery of a Roman mass grave in Vienna shed light not only on a forgotten battle but also on the science and technology used by the Roman Empire in war-and-conflicts during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
- The findings from the Roman mass grave, including an iron dagger with silver wire inlays, suggest that the general-news event took place in the mid-first century to early second century CE, a time when the Roman Empire was actively expanding its territory.
- The absence of infectious diseases among the remains and the usage of weapons like daggers, spears, swords, and projectiles indicate that the battle may have been deeply tied to politics and war-and-conflicts, possibly advancing our understanding of such events in the future.
