In a significant archaeological finding, a mass grave dating back nearly 2,000 years was uncovered beneath a soccer field in Vienna's Simmering district. This grave is believed to relate to a catastrophic military event involving Roman troops battling Germanic tribes around A.D. 80 to 234. The discovery included various military artifacts like an iron dagger and armor, providing insights into the Roman military. Given that cremation was common among ancient Romans, this finding is exceptional, allowing researchers to study the life histories of individuals from that era, according to lead anthropologist Michaela Binder.
The extraordinary discovery was tied to what they called a catastrophic military event, possibly one where Roman troops were badly defeated and fled the site quickly.
The discovery of such skeletal remains is exceedingly rare, experts said, in part because ancient Romans almost exclusively practiced cremation until the third century A.D.
For all of middle Europe from the first century, we don't have any unburned, uncremated human remains, said Michaela Binder, the lead anthropologist on the project.
An analysis of other items found in the grave, including an iron dagger, lance points, scale armor and a cheek piece of a helmet, helped confirm the time period.
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