We report on the electron spin resonance (ESR), heat capacity, magnetization, nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR), magnetic circular and linear dichroism (XMCD, XMLD), as well as the electrical
resistivity of EuMn2P2 single crystals. Antiferromagnetic order of Eu was observed in several quanti-
ties at T Eu
N = 18 K. The temperature dependencies of ESR linewidth and resonance shift show, when
approaching the Eu-ordered state, a divergence towards T Eu
N , indicating the growing importance of
magnetic correlations and the build-up of internal magnetic fields. An additional temperature scale
of ≈ 47 K has considerable impact on linewidth, resonance field and intensity. This points to the
presence of weak Mn-based ordering. The observed ESR line is interpreted as an Eu2+ resonance,
which probes the weak magnetic background of the Mn subsystem. Such picture is suggested by the
lineshape which keeps to be Lorentzian across the 47 K scale and by the ESR intensity which can
be described by the same Curie-Weiss temperature above and below 47 K. In the same temperature
range anomalies were observed at 48.5 K and 51 K in the heat capacity data as well as a pronounced
broadening of the NMR signal of the EuMn2P2 samples. In XMCD and XMLD measurements, this
weak magnetic order could not be detected in the same temperature range which might be due to
the small magnetic moment, with a potential c-component or frustration.