Roman-era ship cargo discovered in Lake Neuchâtel

Roman cargo found at the bottom of Lake Neuchâtel Keystone-SDA

A shipwreck of Roman cargo has been found at the bottom of Lake Neuchâtel. It includes several hundred ceramic objects, olive oil containers from Spain as well as tools and weapons.

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The artefacts are in excellent condition, according to a media conference organised by the canton of Neuchâtel on Wednesday. The richness and variety of these archaeological finds make this discovery a unique event in Switzerland and even north of the Alps.

Several hundred ceramic containers

The cargo consists of several hundred ceramic containers that lay intact on the lake bed including bowls, plates, mugs and dishes made in central Switzerland. Olive oil containers imported from Spain bear witness to the long-distance transport of goods in Roman times.

The ship’s cargo also contains utensils, tools and wagon wheels, which are also in a very good state. As unique finds in Switzerland from the Roman period, these objects bear witness to the use of a dual transport system that linked land and waterways, as a report on the discovery states.

According to experts’ estimates, the cargo probably went ashore in the first century AD. The presence of weapons, in this case swords, also suggests that the sunken ship was a civilian merchant vessel accompanied by a military escort.

Promising research

The cargo was discovered thanks to aerial photographs taken in November 2024 as part of monitoring the condition of the sea bed and submerged cultural heritage. They were taken by the Office of Archaeology of the Canton of Neuchâtel (OARC).

The excavations are being carried out under the direction of the OARC, in collaboration with the Octopus Foundation and the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Fribourg. The artefacts enable research to be carried out into trading networks, technical know-how, pottery workshops and the marketing of manufactured goods.

Restore and protect

The results of the investigation will be on display at the Laténium Archaeological Museum in Hauterive in the Lake Neuchâtel region. In order to make the artefacts accessible to the public, the individual objects must first be recorded and undergo conservation-restoration treatment.

The priority is to protect the very sensitive cargo. Although it is in an excellent state of preservation, it is exposed to various destructive influences, such as erosion of the seabed or anchoring by leisure boats. It is also not immune to vandalism and looting. The most fragile objects have already been salvaged.

Translated from German by AI/jdp

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