Skeleton-filled well in Croatia likely holds remains of Roman soldiers, study finds

abdulmanannet77@gmail.comOctober 15, 2025

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Skeleton-filled well in Croatia likely holds remains of Roman soldiers, study finds

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Archaeologists excavating an ancient well in eastern Croatia have discovered the skeletons of seven men whose bodies had been dumped at random. Experts believe the remains belong to Roman soldiers who fought in the Battle of Mursa in 260 AD.

The skeletons were initially discovered in 2011 during archaeological digs ahead of the planned construction of a university in Osijek, known as the city of Mursa during the Roman Empire. Although the skeletons were complete, they were found in different positions in the well, including upside down.

“Presumably, all individuals were stripped of their valuables – weapons, armor, equipment, jewelry, etc. – before being thrown into the well,” said the study’s lead author. Mario Novakbioarchaeologist at the Institute for Anthropological Research in Zagreb, Croatia, told Live Science in an email.

All seven skeletons belonged to adult men, including four young adults and three middle-aged adults, the researchers wrote in the study. Several of the men had suffered injuries before they died, including blunt force trauma to the forehead, rib fractures and weapon wounds. Additionally, a layer of new bone inside the rib cage, often seen during infections or injuries, suggests that all of the men likely had a lower respiratory infection just before death.

The researchers carbon dated four of the skeletons to the second half of the third century, a date range that matches the only artifact recovered from the well: a Roman coin minted in AD 251.

The composition of the group of skeletons – young and middle-aged men suffering from violent injuries – “is almost identical to those observed in combat-related gatherings” in the mass graves, such as the remains of soldiers from Napoleon’s Great Armythe researchers wrote.

two human bones showing puncture wounds

Archaeologists discovered puncture wounds on two skeletons; left: upper part of the sternum; right: back of the right hip. (Image credit: Mario Novak et al., PLOS One; (CC BY 4.0))

Given the location of the mass grave in ancient Mursa, an important settlement close to the Roman military frontier area, researchers concluded that the skeletons likely belonged to men who fought in the Battle of Mursa in 260 AD.

During the “Crisis of the third century” (235 to 284 AD), various peoples fought to rule the Roman Empire. The Battle of Mursa was contested by the emperor. Gallien and the Roman military commander Ingeniouswho unsuccessfully attempted to usurp the throne. The men in the well could be supporters of Ingenuus, the researchers suggest, because historical sources say Gallienus showed no clemency toward the defeated army.

A deeper analysis of men DNA showed “high genetic diversity,” according to the study, which “is consistent with historical accounts of late Roman armies, which frequently incorporated ethnically diverse groups such as Sarmatians, Saxons, and Gauls.”

Kathryn Markleina bioarchaeologist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky who was not involved in the study, told Live Science that the researchers made a strong argument for the military nature of the Mursa mass grave.

“This research is essential for understanding the direct and violent consequences of political instability during the third century,” Marklein said, and for understanding “how this instability affected populations in the provinces and along the Roman borders.”

Further work is planned on a second mass burial discovered in another well in Mursa, Novak said, which is very similar to that in the new study. “We presume that these are also the remains of soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Mursa in 260.”