Archaeologists excavating an ancient well in eastern Croatia discovered the skeletal remains of seven men, whose bodies had been haphazardly thrown into it. Experts believe the remains belong to Roman soldiers who fought at the Battle of Mursa in 260 AD.
The human bones were originally discovered in 2011 during archaeological excavations ahead of plans to build a university in Osijek, which was known as the town of Mursa during the Roman Empire. The human bones were complete, but they were found in various positions, including the head facing down in the well.
“They were all probably stripped of all valuables such as weapons, armor, equipment, and jewelry before being thrown into the well,” study lead author Mario Novak, a bioarchaeologist at the Institute of Anthropology in Zagreb, Croatia, told Live Science in an email.
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All seven skeletons were of adult males, four of them young adults and three of middle-aged adults, the researchers wrote in the study. Several of the men suffered injuries including blunt force trauma to the forehead, broken ribs, and weapons wounds before they died. Additionally, there was a layer of new bone inside the rib cage, which is common in infections and injuries, suggesting that all the men likely had lower respiratory tract infections shortly before death.
Researchers carbon-dated four of the human bones to the late 3rd century AD. This date range matched the only artifact recovered from the well, a Roman coin minted in 251 AD.
The composition of the group of human bones – young and middle-aged men with severe wounds – is “almost similar to that found in battle-related groups” in mass graves, such as the remains of soldiers from Napoleon’s army, the researchers wrote.
Considering the location of the mass grave in ancient Mursa, an important settlement near the Roman military frontier, the researchers concluded that the remains were likely those of men who fought in the Battle of Mursa in 260 AD.
During the “Third Century Crisis” (235-284 AD), different peoples fought to lead the Roman Empire. At the Battle of Mursa, the Emperor Gallienus fought against the Roman military commander Ingenus, who attempted to usurp the throne but failed. The researchers suggested that the men in the well may have been some of Ingenus’ supporters, as historical sources state that Gallienus showed no leniency toward defeated troops.
Further analysis of the man’s DNA showed “high genetic diversity,” the study said, “consistent with historical accounts of the late Roman army, which frequently incorporated ethnically diverse groups such as Sarmatians, Saxons, and Gauls.”
Kathryn Marklein, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky who was not involved in the study, told Live Science that the researchers made a strong case for the military nature of the Murtha mass grave.
“This research is critical to understanding the immediate and violent effects of political instability in the third century, and how this instability affected populations in the countryside and along the Roman border,” Marklein said.
Novak said additional work is planned on a second mass grave found in another well in Mursa, which is very similar to the new study well. “These are also believed to be the remains of soldiers who lost their lives at the Battle of Mursa in 260 AD.”
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