An amateur archaeologist finds a 2,000-year-old dagger in Switzerland and discovers the alleged scene of a Roman era battle

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November 4, 2021 20:50 GMT

This discovery attracted the attention of a team of researchers from the University of Basel, who last September found several hundred other objects at the 35,000-square-meter site.

Hundreds of objects dating back 2,000 years, including a well-preserved dagger, slingshot stones, coins, nails and part of a shield, have recently been found in southeastern Switzerland. Supposedly the pieces were left in them The battlefield after a clash between the Romans and the local Shabak tribes which occurred around 15 BC

It all started when amateur archaeologist Lucas Schmid found a Roman dagger with a metal detector in a remote location near the Crap-Ses Gorge. This discovery caught the attention of a team of researchers from the University of Basel, who discovered last September Several hundred things More in the deposit, which has an area of about 35,000 square meters.

Two years ago, a well-preserved Roman dagger was found above Julierstrasse. Researchers have now found several hundred other items from the Romans and Rhetes between Tiefencastel and Cunter. https://t.co/B5Ab8jFziT

– SRF Regional Journal (srf_ostschweiz) November 1, 2021

What is known about the battle?

Peter Schwartz, Professor of Roman Provincial Archeology, Hinge On Monday, Swiss radio reported that the battle took place near Kontre in the current canton of Grisons. “It seems that the locals barricaded themselves and that the Romans shot them with slingshots and catapults,” he explained. I noticed that Probably up to 1,500 soldiers participated in the confrontation, making it a minor skirmish compared to the battles fought on other Roman battlefields in Europe.

“It is the first time that the remains of a Roman battle have been found in Switzerland,” announce Archaeologist at the Swissinfo portal. “It seems that the Romans attacked their enemy on one side of the valley and led him across the river to the other side before attacking again,” he added.

The coins and the type of shoe studs found provide definitive evidence of the time frame of the battle, but the team hopes to narrow down the date further and hypothesize that It can be related to a decree issued by the Roman Emperor Augustus To bring the region under Roman control in 15 BC, the Rhaetians conquered the Eastern Alps, including parts of present-day Austria and Italy. The Romans occupied the area and named it Rheia.

Excavations will continue next year. No graves have yet been discovered, so it is not known how many people died in the clash.

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