The secret of a double burial has been revealed – the man and woman hugging in the grave were not lovers

Twenty years ago, a double burial was discovered in Austria. It immediately attracted the attention of researchers, as the remains of two people lay on top of a horse in an embrace. Archaeologists have long believed that the grave contained a married couple of a man and a woman from the early Middle Ages. However, modern technology has made it possible to obtain more information about these people. As it turned out, earlier scientists were wrong about everything – the age of the burial is about 1800 years, that is, it dates back to the times of the Roman Empire. And most importantly, people could not be lovers or husband and wife.

The secret of a double burial has been revealed - the man and woman hugging in the grave were not lovers. In Austria, scientists discovered an unusual burial, the mystery of which was solved only 20 years later. Photo source: bbc.com. Photo.

In Austria, scientists discovered an unusual burial, the mystery of which was only solved 20 years later. Photo source: bbc.com

Mysterious burial in the Roman Empire

The skeletons of two people and a horse were discovered back in 2004. In addition to human remains, the burial contained some jewelry, including gold pendants in the shape of a wheel and a crescent. The cemetery where scientists found the mysterious grave was located on the territory of the ancient Roman city of Ovilava. Currently it is known as Wels.

In the grave, the right hand of one person hugged another, which indicated a close connection between these people. Initially, scientists decided that the burial was Bavarian, dating back to the sixth-seventh century AD. This was indicated by the depth of the grave, as well as the orientation from west to east, characteristic of Bavarian burials. In addition, it is known that German Bavarians lived in this area in the seventh century AD. The position of the bodies indicated that there was a close relationship between the people. Therefore, archaeologists immediately assumed that a loving couple was buried in the grave.

Mysterious burial in the Roman Empire. Artistic reconstruction of the burial. Photo source: sciencedirect.com. Photo.

Artistic reconstruction of the burial. Photo source: sciencedirect.com

Who was buried in a double burial

In the new study, scientists used radiocarbon dating, as well as DNA analysis and a thorough visual inspection of the remains. The results showed that one person was 20-25 years old and the other was 40-60 years old. They died around 200 AD, when the region was part of the Roman Empire.

Anatomical analysis showed that both skeletons belonged to women. DNA analysis gave the same result. Moreover, scientists found that the women were first-degree relatives, meaning they could be sisters or mother and daughter. The authors of the work report this in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

Based on all the data obtained, scientists came to the conclusion that there were a mother and daughter in the grave, with the daughter hugging her mother. According to the researchers, it is very unlikely that there was an age difference of about 20 years between the sisters. But this is exactly the difference that usually occurs between women and children, since at the age of about 20 women most often give birth.

Who was buried in a double burial. 3D visualization and photo images. Source: sciencedirect.com. Photo.

3D visualization and photo images. Source: sciencedirect.com

Who were the buried women

The presence of a horse and gold pendants suggests that women had a high social status. But at the same time, they did not belong to the Roman elite, since Romans were extremely rarely buried with horses. Scientists suggest that these women were representatives of Celtic culture, as the Celts had a tradition of burying horses along with their owners.

The study found signs that these women had an affinity for horses. On the skeleton of an older woman, scientists found traces of horse riding. Therefore, most likely, both women were very fond of horses and riding.

Who were the buried women. Remains of a horse discovered in an ancient burial. Photo source: www.livescience.com. Photo.

The remains of a horse discovered in an ancient burial. Photo source: www.livescience.com

It must be said that this is the first such burial discovered on the territory of modern Austria. Never before have scientists been able to discover the grave of a mother with her daughter, and even with a horse. Why were the women buried in the same grave? Most likely they died together at the same time. The cause of death is still unknown, and it is unlikely that scientists will be able to establish it, since no injuries were found on the skeletons.

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Finally, we note that double burials in general are not uncommon, and sometimes the remains of a man and a woman are actually found in such graves. For example, we previously talked about a burial discovered in China in 2020. In the grave, the bodies hugged each other, so the burial was called the most romantic. Most likely, the man and woman died in an embrace, or were buried in this way after death. The couple hugged in the grave for more than 1,000 years. You can read more about this find at the link.


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