During routine renovations of a Vienna soccer field in October, construction crews stumbled upon an astonishing find: an ancient mass grave filled with intertwined skeletal remains, from what were clearly dozens of bodies. This discovery became even more noteworthy when archaeologists dated the bodies back to the first-century Roman Empire.
The mass burial, likely the result of a violent clash between the Romans and Germanic tribes, has been analyzed by experts from Stadtarchäologie Wien (Vienna City Archaeology) in collaboration with the private firm Novetus GmbH. Following months of study, experts from the Vienna Museum have now publicly unveiled their findings, linking the site to a catastrophic military conflict—the first known ancient battle ever recorded in this region.
The mass grave, located in Vienna’s Simmering district, contains the confirmed remains of 129 individuals. However, archaeologists believe that the total number of victims exceeds 150 (many of the bones re jumbled), making this an unparalleled discovery in Central Europe.
Hellbound and Down 