As you read this story, you will learn the following:
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A 2,000-year-old Roman stone wall has been discovered during excavations in a quarry in central Switzerland.
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Roman ruins in the foothills of the Alps may have been a villa or temple.
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In addition to the wall structure, researchers also discovered a large number of artifacts in the “archaeological sense.”
The Romans knew their way around Europe. They also know how to build with a view. A 2,000-year-old stone wall unearthed from a quarry in central Switzerland has reaffirmed these facts, revealing an “archaeological feel” that researchers hope will provide insight into the Romans as far away as northern Switzerland.
The discovery, reported by the Zug Canton Office for Monument Conservation and Archeology, is more than just a wall. The wall, located a few centimeters below the surface and covering at least 5,300 square feet near Charme-Auberville, points to what was once a complete complex with individual rooms.
The last Roman structure of similar size was excavated in the area about 100 years ago.
“There are only a few known remains of such structures from the Roman period in the foothills of the Alps,” Christa Ebnöther, professor of Roman provincial archeology at the University of Bern, said in a translated statement. “Equally shocking is the relatively good preservation of the remains.”
The higher ground near äbnetwald offers views of the surrounding landscape. It is unclear what the exact function of this monumental building was, but it may have included a grand villa with a scenic view or a temple. The large number of iron nails found at the site hinted at a wooden structure at the base of the wall.
Throughout history, the location has been popular with residents. Other discoveries in the area have yielded a Middle Bronze Age settlement, Late Bronze Age tombs and a large collection of Celtic Age coins.
“We were also surprised to find that the top bricks were also clearly visible on the ground,” Gishan Scherren, head of the department of prehistory and prehistoric archeology at the Zug Archaeological Society, said in a statement.
Experts have discovered everyday items from the Roman era as well as more unique items, including tableware and elaborate glassware. Fragments of amphorae reveal extensive trade routes in Roman times, in which precious liquids such as wine, olive oil and fish sauce were transported from the Mediterranean to Abnewald near Cham.
Additionally, the team found fragments of gold that may have come from jewelry. Copper and bronze coins were also part of the find, including a 1st century BC dinar coin inscribed with Julius Caesar
Researchers investigating the area hope the discovery will provide important insights into the Romans in central pre-Alpine Switzerland. That’s what they’ll see all the time as they continue to search the area.
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