Austrian Mass Graves Date To 1625 Uprising

Archeologists excavating 10 mass graves recently discovered in Austria say the skeletons probably are those of peasants who died centuries ago rather than the remains of Holocaust victims.

The bones of 102 people have been found in the graves, unearthed two months ago during construction of a power plant near Lambach, about 140 miles west of Vienna.

Initially the remains were thought to be those of Holocaust victims but archeologists say they appear to be more than 300 years old.

The Austria Press Agency quoted archeologists Thursday as saying the condition of the bones suggests they are those of peasants killed in an uprising near Lambach that began in 1625.

The Protestant peasants revolted to protest the draconian rule of Count Adam Herberstorff, a Roman Catholic. The rebellion ended Nov. 9, 1626, in a battle in which 3,000 peasants died.