Emily Chan
During archaeological excavations, the remains of a Roman military camp were discovered in the Swiss Alps more than 7,200 feet above sea level. The encampment will help researchers trace the advance of Roman troops through the Alps over 2,000 years ago.
Initially, the researchers had been conducting investigations of the site of an ancient battlefield in the Oberhalbstein region of the Alps since 2021. Their aim was to illustrate how the Romans fought for control over the region against the local Suanetes tribe.
A volunteer decided to venture off on their own to explore the peak of the mountaintop of Colm la Runga. It was about 3,000 feet above the battlefield site. After scanning the peak with LiDAR technology, the volunteer noticed buried structures.
The archaeologists determined that the structures were remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman military camp. Further analysis revealed that the camp was once fortified with three ditches and a rampart barrier.
The strategically positioned defenses allowed Roman forces to monitor access to the valleys around the mountain path.
Additional excavations yielded various weapons and military equipment, including shoe nails and sling bullets. The dating of the artifacts led the researchers to conclude that the campsite had been built around 20 B.C.E. That means it was used at the same time as the battle on the fields below.
Before the investigations began in 2021, not much was known about ancient Roman battles that took place on Swiss territory. However, there was other evidence of Roman occupation in the area, such as the remains of elegant columns, villas, amphitheaters, and settlements across the Swiss landscape.
With so much history discovered in the region, researchers thought for sure that military remnants must be hidden away somewhere. So, a team of roughly 40 scientists from the universities of Basel and Zurich worked with volunteer metal detectorists to find the evidence.
Soon enough, they found artifacts leftover from battles long ago. One of the most notable items was a 2,000-year-old dagger. Overall, the team dug up more than 300 objects from the site in a span of just three weeks.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
