Mass Grave 1st-2nd Century

[Monad]

Mass-grave at Vienna-Simmering. There are bones of ca. 130 individuals and military equipment. First datings suggests "between 1st and 2nd century AD".

The press releases (also in English) can be found here :   https://share.wienmuseum.at/s/ajYWfr9f5NJbWmP
While the (instructive !) press-photos are depicted here:   https://share.wienmuseum.at/s/ajYWfr9f5N...le=6006856

[Imperial Dave]

thats a brilliant find....thanks 

[Erpingham]

Given the shortage of period burials referred to in the press release, this will give a boost to "How tall was a Roman legionary" discussions  Always useful to have a large sample of wound pathology too, to see what can be learned.

[Adrian Nayler]

We may forgive the archaeologists their excited initial speculations for they certainly have found a fantastic find to research. Whilst the find itself is indeed rare perhaps the method of disposal of the dead, whomever they prove to be, is not so unexpected?

Roman soldiers who died during peacetime and within the environs of their base, unit, friends and heirs would likely receive a 'decent' send-off according to then-current practice – cremains placed in a suitable vessel, some appropriate grave goods, and perhaps a gravestone marking their passing. On campaign, and especially so during troubled times, we might expect the practice to be very different, even where the Romans were victorious.

The concept of mass graves was not unheard of in the Roman world. Varro mentions the use of open pits, puticuli, used for mass burial of the poor and slaves outside Roman towns. Perhaps Roman squaddies and their hired help from outside the Empire were not so far removed from 'the poor' when all's said and done, especially when it comes to a swift, convenient and cheap solution to the problem of mass disposal of the dead.

The following paper may be of interest as it discusses treatment of the Roman war dead:
Hope, V. M. (2017) ''Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori': the practical and symbolic treatment of the Roman war dead', Mortality, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 35–49.

It can be found here:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://oro.open.ac.uk/48585/3/Mortality4.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwibg6Wf3LmMAxUBXEEAHRZQDPgQFnoECBoQBg&usg=AOvVaw2eR6bMoQZeP873wmnrPOHR

[Imperial Dave]

Thanks for the link Adrian...very interesting