Archaeology Sensational discovery of a Roman military camp in Graubünden

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a Roman military camp over 2,000 years old at an altitude of 2,200 meters in the Oberhalbstein region of Graubünden. According to the Graubünden Archaeological Service, the find is considered internationally outstanding.

The military camp was fortified by three trenches and a rampart and its strategic location enabled it to control the surrounding valleys and passes, as the cantonal office for culture announced on Thursday.

The finds made so far above Tiefencastel include weapons and pieces of equipment used by Roman soldiers, including slingshots and hobnails. Based on markings on the slingshots, the archaeologists assume a close connection with the already known ancient battlefield 900 meters below the camp.

"The sensational discovery of a Roman military camp in Graubünden shows once again that archaeological research into "Roman Switzerland" continues to hold great surprises in store," wrote the Office of Culture euphorically.

"Internationally outstanding find"

According to the experts, the discovery is also internationally outstanding because the advance of the Roman forces can now be traced over a longer distance: from Bergell over the Septimer Pass to the area of Tiefencastel - and on towards Chur and the Alpine Rhine Valley.

The camp was discovered during research into the Roman conflict landscape between Savognin and Tiefencastel. A volunteer detectorist had discovered a conspicuous terrain structure in the Colm la Runga field. He used the recently released, high-resolution digital terrain models from Swisstopo, known as LiDAR data