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Roman Empire Skeletons Found Under Vienna Soccer Field

Published

11 months ago

April 5, 2025

Roman Empire Skeletons Found Under Vienna Soccer Field

Under a soccer field in a Vienna neighborhood along the Danube, archaeologists have found a mass grave dating to the era when the Roman Empire was battling Germanic tribes almost 2,000 years ago, experts announced this week.

The grave was discovered in October by a construction company doing renovations for the field in Vienna’s Simmering district, a team of archaeologists and historians at the Vienna Museum said in announcing its findings. 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.

Radiocarbon dating traced the bones to approximately A.D. 80 to 234 — a period in which more than a dozen Roman emperors ruled, including Domitian and Trajan, who clashed with ancient Germanic people in the region. 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.

Near the foot of one skeleton, the archaeologists also discovered shoe nails that came from distinctive Roman military shoes called caligae.

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. “So aside from the military aspect, it is an absolute unique chance to study the life histories of people in the first century A.D.”

She added, “We have the unique opportunity to study the lives of normal Roman soldiers.”

Martin Mosser, an archaeologist for the Vienna Department of Urban Archaeology who worked on the project, said that because Romans took great care with ritualized burials and cremation of bodies, the remains began to tell a story of what happened to the men buried there.

“The undignified nature of the burial site along with the deadly wounds found on each individual suggests a catastrophic military confrontation, possibly followed by a hasty retreat,” he said.

There are historical accounts of battles between Germanic tribes and the Romans on the border of the Roman Empire at the end of the first century, and the team called the grave the first physical evidence of such fighting in the area of modern-day Vienna. The remains could represent the start of the metropolis’s history, the team said — theorizing that a Roman defeat could have led to the expansion of a small military base a few miles away.

“It suggests a concrete reason for the buildup of Vindobona into a full-scale legionary fortress, which would take us to the founding moment of Vienna,” Mr. Mosser said, referring to the military base.

The evidence astonished the team. Mr. Mosser said that before this evidence surfaced, no Roman evidence had been found in this area of the city. “Nor could we have expected a Roman battlefield to be located in the Vienna area,” he said.

The remains in the grave belonged to at least 129 people, the archaeologists found, but the total number might exceed 150 as some bones were found intermixed.

All of the dead examined so far were men, mostly between 20 and 30 years old, and many had suffered ghastly injuries, particularly to their skulls, torsos and pelvises.

Experts said the wounds seemed to be from weapons like spears, daggers, swords and iron bolts from ranged weapons, such as crossbows, which suggested the dead were not executed but had perished in battle.

The bodies appeared to have been buried hastily, with many found lying on their stomachs or sides with limbs intertwined.

They were most likely professional Roman soldiers, according to David Potter, a professor of Greek and Roman History at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the research.

“I think we’ve got another moment reflecting a Roman defeat and a burial of troops after the fact,” he said, drawing parallels to how the bodies of Roman soldiers were handled after their forces suffered a brutal defeat at the hands of Germanic warriors in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in A.D. 9.

“You get a sense for the nature of battle from the injuries that these poor people have sustained,” he said, adding, “the other side had a lot of big clubs.”

The team in Vienna said its experts were only beginning their research and that DNA analysis could provide more information about the origins and living conditions of the people buried in the grave. The museum’s report also laid out plans to look more into the objects found in the grave.

On a personal level, Mr. Mosser said the case struck a chord. “With so many young individuals buried so irreverently, one inevitably thinks about the horrific wars of the more recent past as well as the present,” he said, adding, “The unfortunate conclusion: Humans have not become any wiser.”

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World

Pakistan calls troops, orders 3-day curfew as 24 killed in pro-Iran rallies

Published

15 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Pakistan calls troops, orders 3-day curfew as 24 killed in pro-Iran rallies

Army deployed and some areas in northern Gilgit-Baltistan region put under curfew after deadly violence over Khamenei’s killing.

By AFP, Anadolu and The Associated Press

Published On 2 Mar 2026

Pakistan has called in the military and imposed a three-day curfew in some areas following deadly protests over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint United States-Israeli attack on Saturday.

At least 24 people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between protesters and security forces across the country on Sunday, prompting authorities to tighten security around the US embassy and consulates.

Investors brace for a bigger backlash from Middle East war

Published

10 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Investors brace for a bigger backlash from Middle East war

From being just a fringe risk, conflict in the Middle East has become a top worry for investors unsettled by the prospect of a power struggle in Iran and a protracted regional war, with ramifications for everything from global trade to inflation.

World

Tel Aviv analyst shelters from 30 missile sirens in 48 hours, says Iran ‘won’t recover’

Published

11 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tel Aviv analyst shelters from 30 missile sirens in 48 hours, says Iran ‘won’t recover’

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The past 48 hours in Tel Aviv have been unlike anything seen before, a leading security analyst has said, as sirens blared amid missile threats following Operation Epic Fury and U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran.

“We are facing a biblical event — nothing less,” Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital, speaking from his shelter in the city.

Like many Israelis, Michael said he had spent hours in reinforced rooms during the ongoing barrage, adding that he was “very experienced in this.”

“But this all requires time and determination, and I do hope that Trump will also have them both,” he said, speaking shortly after the president released a video message stating that the military operation would continue “until all of our objectives are achieved.”

Explosions from projectile interceptions by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system over Tel Aviv. (JACK GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)

“Trump is the only one who can make the change — and that change will impact the entire region and the international order for years to come,” Michael added.

As of Sunday, Tel Aviv remained under a state of emergency following Iranian missile attacks that caused casualties and widespread damage.

According to The Associated Press, Iranian missile and drone strikes have killed approximately 11 Israeli civilians and wounded dozens more in retaliation for the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.

Shrapnel from missile impacts damaged at least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv, and authorities reported at least one death in the area from falling debris.

The Philippine Embassy in Israel confirmed the death of a Filipino national after a missile strike hit Tel Aviv on Saturday.

TOMAHAWKS, B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS AND ATTACK DRONES POUND OVER 1,000 IRANIAN TARGETS IN 24-HOUR BLITZ

People take shelter as Iran launched missiles and drones towards Israel following the US-Israeli attacks. ( Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“We enter our shelter once the siren is heard and stay there until the Home Front Command announces that we can leave,” Michael said.

“Usually, it is about 20 to 30 minutes — unless there are further sirens during our stay. Since yesterday morning, it has happened around 30 times.”

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog also visited an impact site in Tel Aviv Sunday, delivering a message of resilience.

“The people of Israel and the people of Iran can live in peace. The region can live in peace. But what undermines peace time and again is terror instigated by this Iranian regime,” Herzog said.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS US STRIKES MARK ‘BEGINNING OF THE VERY END’ FOR REGIME

Israeli emergency service officer walks past building debris at the scene of a Iranian missile attack. (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP via Getty Images)

Following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and roughly 40 senior Iranian officials, Iran formed a provisional leadership council.

Iran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to lead roles.

“The Supreme Leader did not complete the necessary groundwork regarding his own succession,” Michael added.

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“Pezeshkian will face very troubling challenges due to their heavy losses, severe disruptions to control and command systems, and the massive bombing and attacks across Iran, including Tehran,” he said.

“Even if this regime doesn’t collapse, it will never be able to reconstitute itself, recover or return to its previous position,” Michael added.

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.