2000-year-old Roman walls discovered in Swiss canton Zug

The discovery of the 2000-year-old Roman wall in canton Zug is "a sensation", says the Office for Historical Monuments and Archaeology. © Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Remains of the walls of a Roman building complex built around 2000 years ago have been discovered in a gravel pit in Cham, a municipality in canton Zug. According to the canton's Office for Historical Monuments and Archaeology of canton Zug, the discovery is "a sensation".

Such a discovery is “extraordinary”, as there are very few known remains from the Roman era in the foothills of the Alps. The last such find in canton Zug was almost 100 years ago, said Gishan Schaeren of the cantonal archaeology service on Tuesday.

The complex is believed to cover an area of 500 square metres. The walls were only a few centimetres below ground. The archaeologists also found fragments of wall plaster.

Everyday objects such as bowls, millstones, glass containers, crockery and amphorae were unearthed. The specialists also discovered large quantities of iron nails and a fragment of gold that may have been part of a jewellery setting.

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“At the moment, we’re wondering what this complex of buildings was used for,” said Kathrin Rüedi, from the Historical Monuments and Archaeology Service. It could have been a villa, an inn or a temple. Further research could help to answer this question.

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