While working with the Archaeological Service of Graubünden in the Swiss Alps, a team of archaeologists from the University of Basel made a remarkable discovery: a Roman military camp located in the Colm la Runga corridor in the Alps.
The camp was found at an elevation of over 7,200 feet.
The site was discovered during investigations into an ancient battlefield in Oberhalbstein. Here, the Romans once fought against the local Suanetes tribe, identified by Pliny as the Raeti, in their quest for control over the Alps.
Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, the team identified the remnants of the military encampment. LiDAR, which uses laser pulses to create detailed digital maps of the landscape, revealed the outline of the camp, which had been hidden from view for centuries.
The camp is strategically located, fortified with three ditches and a rampart, allowing Roman forces to control access to the surrounding valleys through key mountain passes.
Further geophysical surveys and exploratory excavations at the site have uncovered artifacts that provide more context about the Roman soldiers stationed there.
Among the findings are weapons like slingshots and shoe nails.
Notably, some of the slingshots bear the stamp of the 3rd Legion, which, along with the 10th and 12th Legions, fought in battles at Crap Ses Gorge and the Septimer Pass in 15 BC.
According to the researchers, this discovery enables them to trace the precise movements of Roman forces 2,000 years ago as they advanced from Bergell over the Septimer Pass, through the Tiefencastel area, and toward Chur and the Alpine Rhine Valley.
