Amateur archaeologist in Switzerland discovers a 2000 year old Roman dagger | Smart news
Around 15 BC Imperial Roman troops collided with Rätisch Tribesmen near a gorge in Switzerland. After the battle, one of the legionaries dug a hole and buried his dagger, possibly as an offering to the gods.
That’s where the ornate Pugio stayed until 2019 when an amateur archaeologist examined the site with a metal detector, reported Swiss radio and television (SRF). The discovery of the then dentistry student Lucas Schmid led to the discovery of hundreds of other artifacts, including Roman slingshots, horseshoe nails, coins and parts of shields. These objects are now being used for the first time by the Archaeological Service of the Grisons (ADG).
“This is certainly my most spectacular find so far,” Schmid told Matthew Allen SWI swissinfo.ch.
According to archaeologists, the Roman dagger is in remarkably good condition. Schmid discovered the short sword inlaid with silver and brass under about 12 inches of earth. Although researchers thought that metal detectors had found most of the artefacts on the battlefield after it was rediscovered some 20 years ago, Schmid had a different idea.
“I suspected that the entire website had not been searched meticulously,” he tells Tom Metcalfe Live science, added, “I knew I was going to have more artifacts.”
After Schmid reported the find to the local authorities, the ADG teams began an intensive search of the site, which was located near the Crap Ses Canyon and the mountain village Tiefencastel in Switzerland Grisons Canton. They soon discovered a hoard of Roman and Raetian artifacts.
“It is not only the outstanding individual objects such as the dagger … that are interesting, but also the large number and composition of the finds”, team member Peter-Andrew Black, Archaeologist at the University of Basel, tells Live science.
Slingshot stones excavated in the field feature inscriptions from the Roman legions who made them. Archaeologists also found other weapons, including spearheads that appear to be Roman and fragments of Rhaetian swords, shields, and spearheads.
The Raeter or Raeter were an amalgamation of tribes that lived in the alpine regions of what is now Switzerland, Italy, Austria and Germany. They initially opposed the Roman occupation and fought in the first century BC. A series of battles against the invaders. Archaeologists suggest that the clash near the gorge began around 15 BC Augustus ordered a campaign to control the Alps.
“The fieldwork will continue next year, and we anticipate that more coins or other finds will come to light that will allow even more accurate dating,” says ADG director Thomas Reitmaier told Live science.
For Schmid, the search for the dagger was the discovery of her life. Now that he’s a certified dentist, the amateur archaeologist has no plans to turn pro, although he continues to volunteer on the battlefield.
“Of course I am pleased that what I have done has made a difference,” Schmid tells SRF via Google Translate.
recommended videos