Last October, construction workers renovating a football stadium in Vienna made an unusual discovery: a 1st-century AD tomb containing scattered human remains.
These remains are likely those of warriors who fell in battle against Germanic tribes.
The Vienna Museum, which completed the excavation and analysis of the remains, confirmed that this cemetery is linked to a "catastrophic event of a military nature." These remains represent evidence of the victims of the oldest recorded battle in the region.
The remains of 129 individuals were found at the site in the Vienna district of Zimmering, along with scattered bones, suggesting that the total number of victims exceeded 150. No similar mass grave has previously been discovered in Central Europe.
The pit in which the bodies were found shows signs of a hasty and disorganized burial. All the skeletons examined bore signs of violent injuries, particularly to the head, torso, and pelvis. All the victims were men, aged between 20 and 30, with an average height of over 170 cm, and had healthy teeth.
Investigations are still ongoing, and so far only one soldier has been identified with confirmed Roman military affiliation.
Archaeologists are relying on DNA analysis and strontium isotope studies to determine the origins of other remains and determine which groups they fought for.
“The most likely hypothesis currently suggests that this cemetery is linked to Emperor Domitian’s campaigns on the Danube (86-96 AD),” commented excavation participant Adler-Wolfel.