Abstract (eng)
The ancient Ovilava was located on the crossing point of two important roads, one leading from the danube to Salzburg, the other from Aquileia to Passau. From mid 1 st c. A.D. onwards, roman period graves are evident. Within the 5 th c. A.D., Roman settlement activity ceased. In Wels, several burial grounds are documented. These are Gräberfeld Ost, Gräberfeld West, Gräberfeld Mitte, Gräberfeld Nordwest, Gräberfeld Aschet, Gräberfeld Nord and graves in Zellerstrasse. Cremation was dominant in ancient Ovilava. Child burials are underrepresented, anorminative burials are very rare. North of the alps, local and romanized traits can be observed in funeral context. Deformed nails in graves may served as protective spells. Terracotta figurines depicted gods and animals and were connected to the lower classes and less romanized population. Egyptian deity cults reached the eastern alps region by trade and are evident from 1 st c. onwards. In Gräberfeld Wels-Lichtenegg, 1 square barrow, 6 cremation burials, 2 cremation depots and 2 sherd nests were identified. Within these, 7 urns were recovered and 11 individuals could be analysed. The proximity to the remains of an ancient road, a former water flow and the distance of approximately 3 km to the city indicate a connection between these graves and a proposed villa rustica nearby. The finds date to the 2 nd half of the 1 st c. and the 1 st half of the 2 nd c.. They are remains of a well-developed trade network and feature local, Roman and transregional culture.