Archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery high in the Swiss Alps: a Roman military camp located over 2,200 meters above sea level in the Colm la Runga area. This site, unknown until recently, offers new insights into Roman military strategy and the extent of Roman presence in the region over 2,000 years ago.
The camp’s strategic position allowed for effective control over surrounding valleys and mountain passes, providing a significant military advantage to Roman forces.
For several years, archaeological teams have been conducting investigations in the Oberhalbstein Alps, located in eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. These efforts have focused on a Roman battlefield in the region of Crap Ses, between Cunter and Tiefencastel.
Since 2021, the Chair of Vindonissa at the University of Basel, in collaboration with the Archaeological Service of Graubünden, has been studying this conflict landscape. The discovery of the new military camp was made possible by the contributions of numerous volunteers from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Prospektion Schweiz who have been conducting surveys using high-resolution digital terrain models.
A key tool in this discovery was LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a technology that uses laser scanning to create highly detailed digital terrain models. These models reveal even the smallest differences in terrain elevation, making it possible to identify previously unknown archaeological sites worldwide. From the Amazon to the jungles of Central America, and now to the mountainous regions of Switzerland, LiDAR has proven to be a game-changer in archaeology. In the summer of 2023, Swisstopo released a new generation of LiDAR data with very high resolution, which played a crucial role in identifying the Roman military camp at Colm la Runga.
In the fall of 2023, a volunteer detectorist utilized these high-resolution LiDAR models and noticed a distinct terrain feature 900 meters above the old battlefield. Upon further investigation, it was confirmed to be a fortified summit with three trenches and a rampart, a typical feature of Roman military camps.
Following the identification of the site, a series of non-destructive geophysical studies and documentation were conducted in July and August of 2024. Students from the University of Basel, alongside volunteer prospectors, studied the trench system, ramparts, and structures within the camp.
Among the artifacts discovered were weapons and equipment parts belonging to Roman soldiers, including sling bullets and hobnails. Notably, some sling bullets bore the mark of the Third Legion, which also participated in the battle at Crap Ses. This suggests a close connection between the newly discovered camp and the previously known battlefield.
The camp’s location at Colm la Runga was likely chosen for strategic reasons. From this elevated vantage point, Roman soldiers had a commanding view of several key valleys: the Landwasser Valley, the Albula Valley, Domleschg, and Surses. They could also monitor the Lenzerheide, an important mountain pass at the time. This positioning allowed the Romans to effectively control movement through these critical alpine routes.
The discovery of this Roman military camp in the Graubünden Alps is of great significance for Roman archaeology. It underscores the ongoing potential for surprising finds in the study of “Roman Switzerland”. The newly uncovered camp provides an unprecedented opportunity to trace the advance of Roman troops over several dozen kilometers. Researchers can now follow the Roman military movements from Bergell through the Septimer Pass to the Tiefencastel area, and further towards Chur and the Alpine Rhine Valley.
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