The analysis of a double burial site in Austria reveals that two skeletons are not a married couple but rather a mother and child from the Roman era.
Centuries ago, two individuals were buried hand in hand atop a horse in a grave located in present-day Austria. This unique burial position led archaeologists to initially believe the grave belonged to a medieval couple. However, new analyses of the two skeletons reveal they were a mother and child who died around 1,800 years ago during the Roman period. “This is the first confirmed grave of a mother and daughter in Austria from the Roman era, evidenced through genetic analysis,” said Sylvia Kirchengast, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at the University of Vienna.
The position of the two skeletons in the double burial in Austria. (Photo: Live Science).
Archaeologists excavated three skeletons (including two adults and one horse) along with two gold pendants shaped like wheels and crescent moons in 2004 from a cemetery in the ancient Roman city of Ovilava, known today as Wels in Upper Austria. The right hand of one individual was placed around the shoulders of the other, indicating a close relationship between the two. Initial analysis classified the grave as Bavarian from the 6th to 7th century based on the depth and east-west orientation.
In the new study, scientists re-evaluated the remains through radiocarbon dating, ancient DNA analysis, and visual inspection. They found that the two skeletons belonged to individuals who died at ages 20-25 and 40-60, living around the year 200 when the Roman Empire dominated the region. Notably, both skeletons were identified as female according to anatomical analysis. The DNA testing confirmed that the deceased were female and had a first-degree familial relationship, meaning they were either siblings or mother and daughter, as stated in research published in the May issue of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Based on the DNA results, age difference, and several other factors, the research team concluded that the two individuals were mother and daughter, with the daughter embracing her biological mother in the grave. “The likelihood of the two being 20 years apart in age is very low for that period. Therefore, we are confident they are a mother and daughter pair,” Kirchengast shared.
The inclusion of the horse and gold pendants suggests the women in the grave held a high social status and were not part of the Roman nobility, according to lead researcher Dominik Hagmann, an archaeologist at the University of Vienna. He suspects the two individuals belonged to a Celtic civilization existing during the Roman era. The Celts often buried horses alongside their owners. Additionally, there are multiple indications that the deceased were very familiar with horses. Both women may have been regular riders.
Katy Knortz, a PhD student in archaeology and classical art at Princeton University, noted that while it is not possible to completely rule out the possibility that the two women were sisters, the protective posture of the remains and the significant age difference make the mother-daughter relationship more likely.
