Around 2,000 years ago, a Roman soldier, presumably off duty, was stabbed to death. His body lay on the ground for a while and was eventually chucked down a well with broken weapons. Then, for good measure, someone—who must have really disliked this guy—threw in 165 pounds (75 kilograms) of millstones and a stick.

An illustration depicting the placement of the man’s body in the well. Credit: Fred Marschall

When archaeologists uncovered his remains in 1977, they were understandably stunned—just what had gone on here? Initial research linked his death with the Frisian revolt in 28 CE, which didn’t seem right to Mark Driessen and Carol van Driel-Murray , both archaeologists at Leiden University in the Netherlands. So, the pair reopened this ancient murder mystery, inviting experts in archaeology, history, and forensics to chip in—a collection that’s now available in the book the pair edited, Victims of Violence from the Early Roman Fort Velsen 1 .…