Roman Cavalry Horse Cemetery Uncovered

The skeletal remains of 100-plus horses dating to the Roman Empire were discovered by a team of archaeologists in Germany in July of last year. The find is thought to be the largest of its kind found in the European nation.

According to a press release from the archaeological firm ArchaeoBW, the remains were unearthed during a construction project in the city of Stuttgart. Once discovered, the gravesite was dug up by ArchaeoBW and the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD), which concluded there were over 100 horse skeletons that dated to the second century AD, when the area was used by the Roman military.

Apparently, the animals were part of a Roman cavalry unit. “The troop with nearly 500 riders probably had at least 700 horses; losses had to be constantly replaced,” lead archaeologist Sarah Roth said in the release.

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(Source: State Office for Monument Preservation in the Stuttgart Regional Council/ArchaeoBW)

The horses were buried close to an ancient fort and were found in shallow graves. The archaeologists used radiocarbon dating to determine that the horses were buried over time and not following a single event such as a battle. “The horses do not seem to have died suddenly all together due to some cataclysmic event like battle or epidemic,” Roth explained. “Rather, they died during the presence of the Ala due to illness, injuries, or other reasons, or were no longer able to fulfill their duty as military horses.”

While the evidence suggests the horses were buried without ceremony, one horse’s remains were found with two jugs and an oil lamp placed between its legs, objects that were normally buried with humans, not animals. “Here we see a particularly close bond between the owner and the horse. Despite the passage of some 1,800 years, the grief over the loss of this animal can still be felt,” Roth said.

The skeletons were removed for further study to determine age, breed and other information to help determine if the horses were locally sourced or imported. Interestingly, although generally considered a myth, the origins of the name Stuttgart is translated to mean “mare’s garden,” a term once associated with stud farms.