The government of Graubünden, Switzerland, has announced a “shocking discovery” of a Roman military camp during a survey of the Alps.
According to Live Science, trenches and defensive walls of a 2,000-year-old camp that had gone unnoticed for centuries have unexpectedly emerged in the Swiss Alps, near the border with Italy.
The Graubünden authorities describe this discovery as shocking not only for its archaeological value but also for its extremely unique location at an elevation of up to 2,200 meters.
Excavation site of the secret Roman camp in the Alps – (Photo: Andrea Badrutt).
The search began in 2023 when a scientist used lidar remote sensing technology to survey the area and discovered hidden structures.
This tool measures distances by scanning the site with laser beams and observing the reflected light.
The excavations, named “Roman Switzerland”, have revealed a treasure trove of Roman artifacts, including weapons, slingshots, and iron nails.
These slingshots bear the insignia of the Third Legion, a unit of the Roman Empire’s military.
Additionally, the research team found that the actual battlefield was located in a lower area, up to 900 meters away.
This secret camp provided a strategic location, allowing its occupants to clearly observe the surroundings.
The camp was built on a grand scale with robust fortifications and surrounding trenches. The site’s dating is approximately 2,000 years old.
The Roman army surely had to endure a challenging journey to reach this area and establish the camp.
However, it evidently functioned very effectively, remaining hidden not only from enemies but also “concealing” itself from modern archaeologists for centuries.
