A football field renovation in Vienna has led to a groundbreaking archaeological discovery: a mass grave believed to contain the remains of more than 150 men killed in a Roman-era battle.
Construction crews made the discovery last October while working in the Simmering district. This week, experts from the Vienna Museum publicly presented the find for the first time. They described it as the earliest evidence of organized combat in the area and a “catastrophic event in a military context.”
So far, archaeologists have confirmed 129 skeletons in the grave, with many additional bones suggesting the total may surpass 150. The bodies appear to be male warriors, mostly aged between 20 and 30, and all showed signs of fatal injuries.
“This is a unique discovery in Roman military history,” said Michaela Binder, who led the excavation. “We’ve seen battlefields in Germany with weapons, but never before have we found this many bodies of fallen soldiers.”
The condition and placement of the bodies suggest they were dumped quickly and without ceremony. Every skeleton showed signs of violent trauma, especially to the head, torso, and pelvis. Some injuries were consistent with swords, lances, and blunt force weapons.
“This is not a case of execution,” said Kristina Adler-Wölfl, head of Vienna’s archaeology department. “These are battlefield injuries. It’s clear these men died in combat.”
Carbon-14 testing dated the remains to between AD 80 and AD 130. Items found at the site — including helmet cheek guards, Roman military shoe nails, and a specific style of dagger — support that timeline.
Only one skeleton has been identified so far as a Roman legionary, but further DNA and isotope testing may reveal more about the men and which side they fought for.
The strongest theory ties the mass death to the Danube campaigns of Roman Emperor Domitian, which took place from AD 86 to 96.
Archaeologists also uncovered signs of early settlement foundations nearby, offering a glimpse into the origins of what would become the city of Vienna.
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