2,000-Year-Old Battle Site Uncovered in Switzerland

News November 2, 2021

(Courtesy Peter-Andrew Schwarz)
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Switzerland Roman Battle
(Courtesy Peter-Andrew Schwarz)

BASEL, SWITZERLAND—Swissinfo reports that a possible Roman battle site has been discovered in southeastern Switzerland by a metal detectorist, who recovered a dagger, slingshot stones, coins, nails, and part of a shield. Archaeologists from the University of Basel subsequently explored the site, which is located near the Crap-Ses gorge, and found several hundred additional objects such as shoe nails, slingshot leads, and coins. They think the Romans fought a local Rhaetian tribe at the site around 15 B.C. “It looks like the locals were holed up and were shot at by the Romans with slingshot and catapults,” said archaeologist Peter-Andrew Schwarz. For more on Roman projectiles, go to “Weapons of the Ancient World: Siege Weapons.”

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