Mursa's mass grave reveals diverse origins of Roman soldiers
Rachel Christopher
contributing writer
Lisa Lock
scientific editor
Robert Egan
associate editor
Archaeologists in Croatia have discovered a rare mass grave inside ancient water wells at Mursa (modern-day Osijek), revealing the bodies to be soldiers of diverse backgrounds who may have fought in the Battle of Mursa around 260 CE. The multidisciplinary investigation, in PLOS ONE, provides new insight into how the Roman Empire recruited armies from ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Led by Mario Novak at the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb, Croatia, the study combined archaeological, genomic, and isotopic analyses to piece together the identities of seven bodies recovered from the wells. Radiocarbon dating confirmed that the remains date to the second half of the 3rd century, consistent with the timeline of Rome's Crisis of the Third Century (235鈥�284 CE). One of the wells contained a Roman sestertius coin minted in 251 CE, helping corroborate the dating results.
Researchers found that all individuals were robust adult males aged between 18 and 50. Several had sustained perimortem and antemortem injuries, including blunt force trauma to the forehead, rib fractures, and puncture wounds likely inflicted in combat.
Genomic testing conducted at the University of T眉bingen, Germany, revealed striking genetic diversity among the deceased. None shared ancestry with local Iron Age populations, indicating that they were not native to the region. "The observed genetic diversity might reflect the reliance of the Roman Empire on heterogeneous military recruitments, corroborating historical evidence for the integration of 'foreign' groups into imperial forces," write the authors.
Comparable burial patterns have been observed at mass graves from Napoleon's Grand Army and from Skopje, reinforcing the idea that these men were soldiers rather than civilians. "The coexistence of highly diverse genetic backgrounds among the genetically analyzed individuals strengthens the interpretation of these burials having militaristic origins," the researchers explained.
The investigation at Mursa demonstrates how collaborative research can uncover new evidence about the Crisis of the Third Century and shed light on the organization and migration of Roman military forces. Archaeologists continue to study additional burial sites at Mursa to clarify homogeneous versus heterogeneous ancestry.
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More information: Mario Novak et al, Multidisciplinary study of human remains from the 3rd century mass grave in the Roman city of Mursa, Croatia, PLOS One (2025).
Journal information: PLoS ONE
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