Archaeologists in Stuttgart’s Bad Cannstatt district have uncovered a sprawling cemetery containing the remains of more than 100 horses dating to the second century A.D. The discovery was made during construction work for a new housing development, when crews encountered rows of articulated skeletons buried in a designated area near the site of an ancient Roman fort.
Excavations led by ArchaeoBW under the supervision of the State Office for Monument Preservation in Stuttgart reveal that the horses belonged to a Roman cavalry unit, or “Ala,” stationed at Hallschlag between approximately 100 and 150 A.D. Radiocarbon dating confirms the remains are nearly 1,800 years old, and the scale of the burials suggests a continual practice of interring animals that died from age, injury, or illness.
Officials estimate that the cavalry unit comprised around 500 riders supported by upwards of 700 horses. When a horse could no longer serve, it was brought to this burial ground—located away from both military and civilian settlements—to ensure sanitary removal of carcasses. The carefully arranged graves, some with accompanying grave goods, offer new insights into the logistical and emotional ties between Roman soldiers and their mounts.
The find ranks among the largest known Roman-era animal cemeteries in Europe and underscores Bad Cannstatt’s strategic importance as a military hub in what is now southwestern Germany. Archaeologists plan further analysis of soil samples and DNA to better understand the horses’ health, breed origins, and the broader role of cavalry in the Roman Empire’s frontier operations.
