Over 100 Horse Skeletons from a Roman Cavalry Unit from the 2nd Century A.D. Found in Stuttgart

Archaeologists from the State Office for Monument Preservation of the Stuttgart Regional Council have found the remains of more than a hundred Roman horses in the Bad Cannstatt district of the German city. The skeletons, belonging to a military cavalry unit stationed in the area in the 2nd century A.D., offer a unique insight into the use of these animals in the Roman army and their relationship with the troops.

The excavations, carried out by the company ArchaeoBW under the supervision of the State Office for Monument Preservation (LAD), took place on land between Düsseldorfer and Bottroper streets, where the housing company SWSG planned a new construction project. The work, which began in July 2024, has confirmed that the area was used as a horse cemetery by the Roman legions almost 1,800 years ago.

Bad Cannstatt was, during the first half of the 2nd century A.D., one of the main Roman military settlements in the southwest of present-day Germany. The cavalry unit (known as an Ala) stationed in the area had about 500 riders and an estimated more than 700 horses. When one of these animals died, it was buried in a specific area, far from both the military fort and the civilian settlement.

horses roman cavalry unit stuttgart — General view of the excavations. Credit: Landesamt für Denkmalpflege im Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart / ArchaeoBW

The first bones discovered have been radiocarbon dated to the 2nd century A.D., explained Sarah Roth, archaeologist from the LAD. Everything indicates that they belong to the horses of the Ala that was stationed in Bad Cannstatt between the years 100 and 150 A.D.

A Horse Cemetery, Not a Battlefield

Unlike other discoveries of animal remains in military contexts, these horses did not die in combat or from a mass epidemic. According to Roth, the animals were buried over time, probably due to illness, injury, or old age. When a horse could no longer serve, it was brought to this place and euthanized to avoid transporting the carcass.

The horses were placed in shallow pits, lying on their sides with their legs stretched out or bent. Although the space was densely occupied, the graves rarely overlapped, suggesting that the area was somehow marked on the surface.

Among the most striking finds is the skeleton of a horse that was buried with two vessels and a small oil lamp in the curve of one leg. These objects, typical of human funerary offerings, reflect an emotional bond between the owner and their mount, Roth noted. Even after 18 centuries, we can sense the mourning for the loss of this animal.

In stark contrast, archaeologists also found the skeleton of an adult man lying face down, without any funerary objects, among the horse graves. His position, far from the usual cemetery of the civilian population, suggests that he was a social outcast, buried without ceremony.

The discovery offers an exceptional opportunity to study the breeding and use of horses in the Roman army. Archaeozoological analyses will determine the sex, age, size, and possible diseases of the animals. In addition, isotopic studies could reveal their diet, place of origin, and whether they were raised locally.

Bad Cannstatt was a key equestrian center, and now we can better understand how the Romans managed their animal resources, added Roth. A historical irony, given that Stuttgart owes its name to the old mare breeding farms (Stutengarten) that existed centuries later.