Ancient Roman Soldiers Buried in Mass Grave Uncovered After 1,700 Years
A team of researchers from European archaeological institutions has made a groundbreaking discovery in the ancient city of Mursa - modern-day Osijek in Croatia. Seven skeletons found in a mass grave have been identified as belonging to Roman soldiers who lived around 1,700 years ago.
The male skeletons were discovered during excavations in 2011 and were initially thought to be ordinary burials. However, DNA analysis and other forensic tests revealed that the men were most likely Roman soldiers. The researchers believe that the soldiers were killed in battle and buried in a mass grave due to the "Crisis of the Third Century," a period of violence and conflict in the Roman Empire.
The skeletons showed various injuries, including blunt force trauma, puncture wounds, and signs of pulmonary disease. Analysis of their diets revealed that they were mostly vegetarian but also consumed some meat and seafood.
The discovery was significant not only because of the age of the skeletons but also due to the rarity of mass graves in the Roman Empire. According to historians, mass burials were typically used in extreme situations such as war and natural disasters.
Mursa, where the soldiers were buried, was an important city in the Roman Empire that played a significant role in trade and crafts. The city's history has been extensively studied by archaeologists, who have uncovered various ancient civilizations sites in the area.
The researchers believe that the mass grave where the soldiers were found would have originally been a water-well, which is why they were likely thrown into it before being covered with soil.
A team of researchers from European archaeological institutions has made a groundbreaking discovery in the ancient city of Mursa - modern-day Osijek in Croatia. Seven skeletons found in a mass grave have been identified as belonging to Roman soldiers who lived around 1,700 years ago.
The male skeletons were discovered during excavations in 2011 and were initially thought to be ordinary burials. However, DNA analysis and other forensic tests revealed that the men were most likely Roman soldiers. The researchers believe that the soldiers were killed in battle and buried in a mass grave due to the "Crisis of the Third Century," a period of violence and conflict in the Roman Empire.
The skeletons showed various injuries, including blunt force trauma, puncture wounds, and signs of pulmonary disease. Analysis of their diets revealed that they were mostly vegetarian but also consumed some meat and seafood.
The discovery was significant not only because of the age of the skeletons but also due to the rarity of mass graves in the Roman Empire. According to historians, mass burials were typically used in extreme situations such as war and natural disasters.
Mursa, where the soldiers were buried, was an important city in the Roman Empire that played a significant role in trade and crafts. The city's history has been extensively studied by archaeologists, who have uncovered various ancient civilizations sites in the area.
The researchers believe that the mass grave where the soldiers were found would have originally been a water-well, which is why they were likely thrown into it before being covered with soil.
! I mean, these guys weren't just ordinary Romans, they were actual soldiers who fought in battles and were buried together like a team 
. It's crazy to think that their diets were all about veggies, but also had some meat and seafood - not much different from ours, right? 
. And the injuries on those skeletons are insane... blunt force trauma, puncture wounds... it's like they went through hell 
. I love how researchers are still discovering new things about ancient civilizations, like Mursa was super important in trade and crafts 
. The idea of a water-well turning into a mass grave is wild too - who knew? 
. Vegetarian but also had some meat and seafood, huh? That's a good point about mass graves too - you don't usually find out that kind of info until now 
. But what really gets me is how a water-well turned into a mass grave 
. Who knew? Anyway, this discovery just goes to show you how much we still got to learn from history 
.
. I mean, can you imagine living 1,700 years ago and then getting killed in battle? Like, what even was your life like back then? 
. Can you imagine what life was like for these Roman soldiers 1,700 years ago? 
. It's crazy to think they were killed in battle and buried together in mass graves during such a turbulent time in Roman history 
. I'm loving how archaeologists are always uncovering new stories from the past 
!
and we're just now finding out about it 
anyway, these soldiers were veggie-lovers apparently 
i mean who knew ancient roman guys liked pizza too 
lol but seriously its cool to see them find out more about our ancestors and how they lived back then 
[www.archaeology.org](http://www.archaeology.org)
. And the fact that they were mostly vegetarian is wild, like who knew ancient Romans weren't all meat-eaters? 
. I'm also super intrigued by the idea of a water-well being converted into a mass grave, it's like, what a dark history, right? 
the injuries on the skeletons are so brutal, blunt force trauma and puncture wounds lol wat kinda battlefield r they fightin in?! 
️ also i read that they were mostly veggie but had some meat & seafood 
. It's like they took the ultimate shortcut to the afterlife 
. It’s like uncovering a secret world that we used to live in. Anyway, congrats to the researchers for making this groundbreaking discovery! 
anyway, i guess its awesome that these researchers found out more about what life was like for them back in the day 