Archaeologists researching a battlefield in Switzerland have discovered a Roman military camp 7,000 feet above sea level. The camp, estimated to be around 2,000 years old, is connected to the Roman battlefield in the Colm la Runga corridor.
Initial studies of the site have revealed artifacts, including sling bullets marked by the Roman 3rd Legion.
As archaeologists delve deeper into the history of the Roman army in present-day Switzerland, a volunteer uncovered a previously unknown military camp in the mountains, strategically positioned to provide tactical views of the surrounding valleys and mountain passes, according to a translated statement from the Canton of Graubünden.
Alongside the discovery of the camp’s ditches and walls, archaeologists found lead sling bullets stamped with the insignia of the Roman 3rd Legion, a clear indication of its Roman origins, reports Popular Mechanics.
Since 2021, a research team from the University of Basel, in collaboration with the Graubünden Archaeological Service, has been studying a Roman battlefield in the Oberhalbstein Alps, located in eastern Switzerland.
Their focus shifted dramatically in the autumn of 2023 when a volunteer identified a distinct terrain feature in the Colm la Runga corridor, located about 3,000 feet above the battlefield.
Using high-resolution digital terrain models and LiDAR technology, the team investigated the hilltop site. LiDAR, which uses laser scanning to reveal slight changes in elevation, unveiled the outline of the hilltop’s artificial fortifications.
Hidden for two millennia, 7,000 feet up in the Swiss Alps, the Roman camp was protected by three ditches and a wall with ramparts.
Its position offered views of four key valleys—Landwassertal, Albulatal, Domleschg, and Surses—and the Lenzerheide mountain pass, providing Roman soldiers with a strategic vantage point to detect any approaching threats.
In August, students from the University of Basel joined volunteers to examine the structures within the camp’s walls.
The excavation has uncovered Roman military weapons and gear, including lead sling bullets and boot nails.
The sling bullets bear the 3rd Legion’s stamp, linking the camp to the battle at Crap Ses and dating it to around 2,000 years ago.
This discovery allows experts to trace the precise movements of Roman forces 2,000 years ago, showing their advance from Bergell over the Septimer Pass to Tiefencastel and onward toward Chur and the Alpine Rhine Valley.
