The leg bones lay scattered all over the football pitch, as if they had been dumped in a hurry: skulls, pelvises, torsos. All of them had injuries, reports The Guardian.
The mass grave is likely the result of "a catastrophic military battle", according to experts at the Vienna Museum. The remains are believed to come from warriors who died in battles between the Roman Empire and Dacia, an area in southeastern Europe during ancient times, around 80-130 AD.
Since the discovery in October, the remains of 129 people – all men – have been excavated from the ground, but researchers believe it is likely to be over 150 bodies. It constitutes the largest discovery of its kind in central Europe, according to the researchers.
There are enormous battlefields in Germany where weapons have been found. But finding the dead – that is unique for the entire Roman history, says Michaela Bender, who is leading the excavation, to The Guardian.
During the Roman Empire, dead soldiers were usually cremated. Therefore, it is extremely rare for researchers to be able to examine the bodies' injuries.
They have different types of war injuries, which rules out execution. It is really a battlefield, says Kristina Adler-Wölfl, head of the City of Vienna's archaeological unit, to the newspaper.
There are injuries from swords and lances, as well as injuries from blunt weapons.
