Emily Chan
Together, the artifacts and the remains of the military camp have helped the researchers begin to paint a picture of the battle that occurred in the late first century B.C.E. on these mountains.
According to the team, a force of about 2,000 Roman soldiers advanced through the Alps and engaged in a conflict with a group of approximately 500 to 1,000 local fighters at the top of the hill.
The battle was likely won by the Romans, but there are no historical records to back up their findings.
“We do not have any sources, but given the distribution of the finds and the fact that we have many broken pieces of equipment, we believe the Suanetes lost,” said Hannes Flück, an archaeology professor and project coordinator.
Still, the discoveries have helped provide more insight, and perhaps additional research will uncover evidence that supports this illustration of the events once and for all.
