Bioarchäologie am Donaulimes

Favianis (today known as Mautern an der Donau) and Augustianis (today known as Traismauer) were important Roman military camps on the Danube limes during the Roman antiquity (circa 50 to 500 AD). These sites played a significant role in border security and regional settlement, providing crucial insights into Roman life and society at the time through archaeological findings.

It is essential to understand that these sites were not merely military camps inhabited solely by soldiers; rather, they were vital local centers, comparable in importance to cities within the region. These camps housed a diverse community, as the military attracted not only craftsmen, traders, and other service providers but also the soldiers' families who lived in the vicus, the village surrounding each camp, in substantial houses equipped with floor heating and wall paintings.

However, people did not only live in these camp villages; they also died there and were buried in graveyards, which, unlike today, were located along the exit roads outside the settlements.

The analysis of human remains from the cemeteries of the Roman military camps at Favianis and Augustianis provides fascinating insights into the life and health of not only the Roman soldiers but the entire local population. Through the application of bioarchaeological methods, anthropologists can gather valuable information about diet, diseases, living conditions, and even the origins of these individuals.

Thus, the bioarchaeological studies at the Roman military camps of Favianis and Augustianis yield critical insights into the life and health of the people in that area. This information enhances our understanding of the Roman army and living conditions within the Roman Empire.

Since 2021, both sites have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Danube Limes (Western Section)."