Archaeologists recently discovered a huge Roman grave under a soccer field in Vienna, Austria, that is believed to be from the first century A.D.
According to The Associated Press, the Roman gravesite was discovered last October when construction crews were renovating a soccer field in Vienna. The outlet noted that 129 bodies have been confirmed by archaeologists at the Roman gravesite, which is located in the Simmering neighborhood of Vienna.
The Associated Press reported that the historic discovery was announced last Wednesday at the Vienna Museum. The experts noted that the Roman gravesite is connected to “a catastrophic event in a military context” and provides evidence of the first known fighting in the region.
According to The Associated Press, archaeologists said that in addition to the 129 confirmed bodies found underneath the Vienna soccer field, many other bones were discovered at the Roman gravesite. As a result, archaeologists believe that the excavation site could hold the remains of roughly 150 victims.
Fox News reported that the discovery of the Roman gravesite is believed to date back to sometime between 80 and 130 A.D. and is the first mass grave of Roman soldiers and Germanic tribes to be discovered in Vienna.
According to Fox News, archaeologists noted that the discovery in Vienna is unusual since Roman soldiers were usually cremated until the third century, making the discovery of Roman soldiers’ bodies from that time period very rare.
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“Within the context of Roman acts of war, there are no comparable finds of fighters,” Michaela Binder, the leader of the archaeological excavation, said. “There are huge battlefields in Germany where weapons were found. But finding the dead — that is unique for the entire Roman history.”
The Associated Press reported that archaeologists said each of the skeletons that have been examined point to various injuries to the victims, including injuries to the head, pelvis, and torso.
“They have various different battle wounds, which rules out execution. It is truly a battlefield,” Kristina Adler-Wölfl, the head of Vienna’s city archaeological department, said. “There are wounds from swords, lances; wounds from blunt trauma.”
According to The Associated Press, archaeologists used carbon-14 dating to determine the age of the Roman remains and cross-checked the carbon-14 dating with the historical relics found underneath the soccer field. The relics included a dagger, helmet cheek protecters, armor, and nails used in Roman military shoes.
“The most likely theory at the moment is that this is connected to the Danube campaigns of Emperor Domitian — that’s 86 to 96 A.D.,” Adler-Wölfl added.
Pictures of the historic discovery have been shared on X, formerly Twitter.
