A volunteer archaeologist has discovered an ancient weapon made of silver and brass in Graubünden, Switzerland. The site is said to be a former battlefield.
Graubünden – Finds from the past have always fascinated people. Archaeologists only recently discovered the skeleton of a Roman who evaporated when Mount Vesuvius erupted 2,000 years ago (BW24* reported). Also 2,000 years old: A dagger that a dental student and volunteer archaeologist discovered in 2019 with a metal detector in Graubünden (Switzerland). The weapon provided clues to a long-forgotten ancient battle between the legions of the Roman Empire and tribal warriors.
The amateur archaeologist discovered the dagger in 2019 in the mountainous region of Graubünden, as reported by The Smithsonian . Experts believe that the area is a lost battlefield where Imperial Roman soldiers fought Rhaetian warriors around 15 BC. The discovery sparked an excavation in the area, which turned up a wealth of ancient military artifacts.
Dagger find in Graubünden: “It was clear to me that more artifacts were to be expected”
According to the discovery team, the dagger is such a rare find that only four of its kind have been found in what was once Roman territory. During the course of investigations of the site by a team from the Archaeological Service Graubünden of the University of Basel, hundreds of other ancient artefacts were found – including spearheads, lead slingshots, parts of shields, coins and even toenails of Roman soldiers.
The Archaeological Service of Graubünden (ADG) has since exhibited the objects, according to The Smithsonian . Speaking to LiveScience.com , the dagger finder said he didn’t think the area was well explored and began finding buried metal fragments. “It was clear to me that more artifacts were to be expected,” he said.
Archaeological Discoveries: Amazing Finds
Again and again, bizarre finds come to light among archaeological discoveries. In Israel, archaeologists found a whole, 1,000-year-old egg – and accidentally broke it*. Archaeologists from Cambridge discovered an entire city underground – without ever doing an excavation.* * BW24 is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA .