BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Roman Soldiers Buried in a Croatian Well

Mass grave reveals bloody conflict

The location of the mass grave within the excavation area of the new university library. Courtesy Novak et al.

Editor’s Note: The following article contains photos of human remains.

Before the construction of a new university library in Osijek, Croatia, excavations revealed a startlingly gruesome discovery: the mass grave of seven Roman soldiers who had been dumped into a well. According to an article in the journal PLOS One, the soldiers likely fought in the battle of Mursa in 260 CE, a conflict that saw Emperor Gallienus defeat the usurper Ingenuus. More than just evidence of a bloody conflict, the grave also sheds light on life in the Roman army.

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Disposing of the Dead

The Roman settlement of Mursa (modern Osijek) was the site of two bloody civil wars in the third and fourth centuries. Excavations around the area continue to reveal evidence of both the battles and life in the Roman settlement. During archaeological work related to the construction of a new library, excavators uncovered a Roman-period well containing the remains of seven individuals. As the individuals were each haphazardly tossed into the well, some even discovered head down, the team believes the well was used as an unprepared mass grave. It was only after analyzing the remains that they realized the full extent of what they had discovered.

All seven sets of skeletal remains were identified as belonging to men, with four between the ages of 18 and 35 and the other three between the ages of 36 and 50. This was already an indication that this was no ordinary burial, since these types of remains are typical of burials related to battles. Upon further investigation, the team discovered that all seven individuals were above average height for the time, at around 5 feet, 8 inches tall on average. Their bones showed stress marks, typical of military training and work. Several of the men also had signs of traumatic wounds that had healed, and evidence that they had an illness affecting their lungs, possibly as a result of harsh conditions on campaign.

The mass grave of Roman soldiers uncovered in Croatia. Courtesy Novak et al.

Several of the bodies also showed signs of injuries that had occurred immediately before or after death. These included injuries made by either arrows or spears, an arm wound caused by a sword, and several broken bones and teeth. Analysis of the wound patterns shows that while some injuries were inflicted on the front of the body, others must have been made from behind, suggesting a chaotic, close-combat scenario.

Radiocarbon dating of the skeletal remains places the soldiers’ deaths around the middle of the third century, corresponding to the Battle of Mursa between Emperor Gallienus and the usurper Ingenuus in the year 260. According to written records, Gallienus achieved a decisive victory during the battle, while Ingenuus committed suicide shortly afterwards to avoid capture. This newly discovered mass grave sheds further light on that battle. Several other nearby wells containing the remains of fallen soldiers have also been excavated, although publication of those graves is still forthcoming. At least in this case of this now published grave, archaeologists believe the dead soldiers were likely stripped of their armor and goods and then dumped haphazardly into the well as a method of quick burial, in contrast to cremation, which was the standard Roman burial practice of the time.

Beyond how and when the soldiers died, the skeletal remains also revealed something about how these individuals lived and the organization of the Roman army. After conducting DNA analysis, the team identified the area of origin for the soldiers. Some were from northern and central Europe, while others were from the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean regions. One may have even been Sarmatian, a nomadic people from the Iranian plateau. These results demonstrate the incredible diversity of the Roman army, which recruited soldiers from across the empire and even utilized mercenaries or captured enemy soldiers.

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