Archaeologists Found an Ancient Roman Military Camp Hiding 7,000 Feet High in the Sky

Popular Mechanics ^ | September 6, 2024 | Tim Newcomb

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Since 2021, a team from the University of Basel has researched the landscape in the Crap Ses area between Cunter and Tiefencastel in collaboration with the Graubünden Archaeological Service... Using a high-resolution digital terrain model and LiDAR data, the team investigated the hilltop site. LiDAR features laser scanning of the ground to show even slight height differences in the terrain as a grayscale image, and in the Colm la Runga corridor, it revealed the profile of the artificial fortification of the hilltop.

Resting undisturbed for two millenia 7,000 feet high in the Swiss Alps, the previously unknown Roman military camp was fortified by three ditches and a wall with ramparts. The site of the camp offers a view of four key valleys—Landwassertal, Albulatal, Domleschg, and Surses—and Lenzerheide, a heavily traveled mountain passageway. The perch gave Roman soldiers stationed at the camp a perfect vantage point to spot any incoming enemies.

A team of students from the University of Basel joined volunteers in August to research the structures inside the wall-ditch system. So far, the find has yielded weapons and equipment belonging to Roman soldiers, including lead sling bullets and boot nails. The slingshot lead bears the stamp of the 3rd Legion, which was involved in the battle at Crap Ses, giving experts an obvious tie between the ancient battlefield and the newly discovered military camp. The dating of the artifacts also links the camp to the same period as the battlefield, roughly 2,000 years ago.

The discovery helps experts track the advancement of Roman forces 2,000 years ago with precision, showing their movement from Bergell over the Septimer Pass to the Tiefencastel area and from there toward Chur and the Alpine Rhine Valley.

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Well, that’s different.