Roman Well Burial in Croatia May Reveal Victims of Plague of Cyprian

Nearly four dozen human skeletons recovered from an ancient well in Osijek, Croatia, may represent victims of the historic Plague of Cyprian that swept across the Roman Empire during the middle of the third century A.D., according to researchers presenting new archaeological findings.

Discovery of the Osijek Well Skeletons

The human remains were excavated in 2008 near a Roman necropolis in Osijek, a city founded by Emperor Hadrian in A.D. 133 and historically known as Mursa. During the Roman period, Mursa served as a vital garrison town where stationed soldiers defended the Danube frontier of the empire. While much of the ancient settlement remains unexcavated beneath the modern city, archaeologists have uncovered multiple antique wells used for disposal. Mario Novak, a bioarchaeologist at the Institute for Archaeological Research in Zagreb, presented the analysis of the skeletons on August 6 at the 25th European Paleopathology Association meeting in Berlin. Novak stated during his presentation that the site features ancient wells that were utilized to discard bodies following battles or epidemics.

The latest analysis examined a deep well containing at least 43 skeletons, including both adults and children of various sexes. According to Novak, the buried individuals displayed no major traumatic injuries, distinguishing this discovery from previous excavations at the same location. In earlier digs, Novak and his team uncovered two separate wells filled predominantly with young male skeletons bearing severe injuries linked to the Battle of Mursa in 260 A.D. Because the newly studied group lacks violent trauma, researchers identified the assemblage as a demographic cross-section of a civilian population rather than a military casualty site.

Investigating the Plague of Cyprian Connection

Based on the demographic profile and the absence of combat wounds, the research team developed a working hypothesis that the individuals succumbed to a widespread contagion. Historical documentation from the era records a major epidemic during the mid-third century known as the Plague of Cyprian, which initially struck Roman military forces stationed along the Danube before triggering widespread mortality throughout the empire. Modern medical and historical experts have not yet established the exact pathogen responsible for the outbreak, though scientific candidates include smallpox and hemorrhagic fever. Patrick Randolph-Quinney, a biological anthropologist at Uppsala University in Sweden who was not involved in the project, told Live Science that the site features bodies dumped into pre-existing water structures rather than traditional mass graves. Examination of the skeletal remains revealed signs of chronic, non-life-threatening conditions, including dental cavities and osteoarthritis on the vertebrae, alongside a few potential indicators of scurvy and tuberculosis. However, the physical bones have not yet yielded a definitive cause of death.

Upcoming DNA Analysis and Next Steps

To establish firmer historical context, researchers are awaiting laboratory results. Novak stated that forthcoming DNA analyses will help determine whether the deceased individuals were local civilians hastily interred during an outbreak or soldiers conscripted from distant provinces across the Roman Empire. These genetic and scientific tests are expected to provide clearer data regarding the identity of the people thrown into the Osijek well and the exact nature of the health crisis that ended their lives.