Ground surveys uncover Roman grave traces in Murtal

Ground surveys have revealed traces of Roman graves in the Aichfeld-Murboden region, ORF reported. GeoSphere Austria has been conducting measurements there for 15 years, and its ninth survey focused mainly on Roman remains.

A GeoSphere Austria quad used ground-penetrating radar to survey almost seven hectares of farmland in Aichfeld in Upper Styria. Researchers were looking for historic burial sites after a farmer discovered a titulus, an inscription on a Roman gravestone dating from the second century AD, several years ago.

“The titulus was ploughed up. Over time, the gravestone was certainly moved before it was completely exposed by ploughing. That is why its exact location is not known,” archaeologist Ralf Totschnig said.

The land has already yielded many traces of the past, including burial mounds dating mainly from the Hallstatt period and the later Iron Age. “Over time, we have found almost 200 grave monuments. The data also show roads from different periods. This is a landscape that has repeatedly changed over thousands of years,” Totschnig said.

Excavations carried out from 2012 and 2013 opened four burial mounds with permission, according to Franz Bachmann of the Falkenberg working group. Two had been partly looted, while one was intact.

Finds include the helmet grave of a Hallstatt-period prince. Its valuable burial objects are on display at the Murtal Museum in Judenburg, along with other objects from the cult-wagon grave, including fine amber chains.

Further analysis of the latest measurements has now identified possible traces of Roman graves near the location where the titulus was found in 2017.

“I am pleased about it. It is such a small area that it makes no difference to the yield. What matters to me is bringing this history back to light and preserving the culture of the people who lived here before,” farmer Sepp Prenn said.