Using new archaeological and bioarchaeological technologies, investigators from the University of Vienna have found that a grave discovered 20 years ago in present day Austria is much older than anticipated – nearly 500 years older – and could be the first genetic mother-daughter discovery in human history.
The researchers were able to use osteological studies, as well as ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis to identify the biological sex of the individuals buried. They were also able to hypothesize a familial connection between the two individuals.
Anthropologist Sylvia Kirchengast and archaeologist Dominik Hagmann led the team in the latest discovery, which was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
"In summary, our investigations showed that the burial was of two biological women — probably a mother aged around 40 to 60 and her daughter aged around 20 to 25 — from the second and third centuries. The grave is around 500 years older than initially assumed and clearly dates from Roman times," Kirchengast said in a statement.
The next step involved using radiocarbon dating to produce a more precise temporal classification of both humans and the horse skeleton.
The grave was first discovered in Wels in 2004 during construction work for the eastern burial ground of Ovilava, an ancient Roman city located in present day Wels in Upper Austria. The discovery garnered a lot of attention at the time because it was believed to be an early medieval double burial with a married couple and a horse.
However, the latest discovery shows the grave dates to the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE.
"In Roman times, burials in which people were buried next to horses were very rare. But what is even more extraordinary is that this is the first burial from Roman antiquity in Austria in which, through genetic analysis, a biological mother and her biological daughter, who were also buried at the same time, could be clearly identified. This makes our results particularly exciting," Hagmann said.
The scientists were unable to pinpoint the exact background of the burial but believe that both individuals found may have died of an illness at the same time. Tradition at the time had people buried together with their horses.
However, the investigation showed the older individual had skeletal features that show frequent horse riding.
While the findings themselves stand on their own, the study could show the potential for using modern techniques combined with traditional research approaches for archaeology in Roman Austria.