Roman sanctuary unearthed beneath Frankfurt may have a dark past involving ritual human sacrifice

Some of the unearthed wall art

Vishwam Sankaran
©UK Independent

Mon 6 Apr 2026 at 23:30

Archaeologists have unearthed a Roman-era walled complex beneath the German city of Frankfurt with shafts and pits containing what may have been remains of an ancient cult’s ritual human sacrifices.

Parts of the sanctuary first came to light during excavations between 2016 and 2018, and again in 2022 during construction of a new primary school.

“The central cult district of Nida represents an archaeological discovery of almost unparalleled significance in Europe,” said Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt’s city commissioner for culture and science.

During excavations, archaeologists found that the sanctuary’s walled complex remained largely undisturbed since Roman times of about the early second century AD.

More:
https://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/roman-sanctuary-unearthed-beneath-frankfurt-may-have-a-dark-past-involving-ritual-human-sacrifice/a1785765264.html