Overview

• Construction crews in Vienna uncovered a mass grave last October during soccer field renovations, revealing over 129 skeletal remains from a 1st-century Roman Empire-era battle.
• The grave, located in the Simmering district, is linked to a catastrophic military event and marks the first known evidence of Roman-era fighting in the Vienna region.
• Carbon-14 dating and relics, including Roman military armor and weapons, date the remains to 80-130 A.D., with possible connections to Emperor Domitian's Danube campaigns (86-96 A.D.).
• The victims, all young adult males aged 20-30, bore battle wounds from swords, lances, and blunt trauma, confirming a battlefield context rather than execution.
• DNA and isotope analysis is ongoing, with only one victim identified as a Roman warrior so far, as researchers aim to determine the fighters' affiliations and origins.