By The European Times | Created at 2026-10-02 08:22:10 | Updated at 2026-10-02 09:45:54
1 hour ago
Archaeologists are updating Roman maps of Switzerland after stumbling upon traces of long-buried ruins during the hottest summer in the country’s history, Reuters reported.
Drought can reveal hidden archaeological sites through so-called “parch marks”—patterns that appear when vegetation growing over buried structures dries out. This is one of the consequences of this year’s heatwaves, which also exposed World War II-era vessel wreckage on riverbeds.
Acting on a tip-off from a history enthusiast, archaeologists in the Swiss canton of Vaud used a drone to conduct daily aerial surveys of the fields surrounding Aventicum—the former capital of Roman Helvetia, founded 2,000 years ago after Julius Caesar defeated local tribes. The town of Avenches stands on the site today.
“These are the richest finds made there in the last 50 years—at least during the careers of the last two generations of archaeologists,” said archaeologist Yordan Anastasov, as quoted by AFP.
The images reveal traces of thermal baths, houses, roads, and possibly a temple—features that were previously unknown or poorly documented. Many of these sites lie in areas of the town that have never before been excavated. The city itself flourished under Roman rule before gradually declining as Germanic raids increased from the third century onwards.
A team of five archaeologists has mapped the discoveries in purple, filling in gaps and correcting erroneous designations.
“We are now asking ourselves really interesting questions that wouldn’t have occurred to us otherwise,” says archaeologist Hugo Amoroso.
Some of the traces captured between June and August vanished after the mowing of crops and the drop in temperatures; however, the outlines of a new pool within the thermal bath complex remain visible in a partially parched alfalfa field, as the unseasonably warm weather has persisted into September.
Remains of the past have also emerged elsewhere in Switzerland and Europe, though many are difficult to interpret due to their isolated nature and a lack of specialized researchers.
Swiss archaeologists plan to present their findings to colleagues and may later conduct targeted excavations.
“We aren’t going to wish for a drought. However, we will make the most of the situation and continue our search,” says Pierre Blanc, the site’s excavation leader.
Illustration: Map of Roman-era Switzerland, created by J. Paulus for Cluverius in Amsterdam, 1729. Photo: AbeBooks.co.uk
