5 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A Large Roman Building Discovered on the Limmat

In the Steinacher area (Canton of Aargau) on the Limmat there was a Roman settlement that was significantly larger than long assumed. Before the remains are destroyed for housing development, the cantonal archeology department carries out large-scale excavations.

It has long been known that Romans once lived in what is now the Steinacher area of Gebenstorf. The first finds were made in the 17th century, and in 1856 the graves of Roman legionnaires came to light during the construction of a railway line. Until recently, however, it was not known that there was even a large Roman settlement on the site on the Limmat.

During the preliminary excavation in advance of the planned excavation, the first wall foundations and Roman building rubble, as well as individual finds, came to light on the building plot between Limmatstrasse and Vogelsangststrasse. Here in Gibstorf in the “Steinacher”, about 2.2 kilometers from the Roman legionary camp in Vindonissa, a residential development with an underground car park is planned. Even before construction begins, Cantonal archeology (Die Kantonsarchäologie) is now documenting the archaeological remains before they have to make way for new living space. The rescue excavation began at the beginning of April.

The earthworks affect an archaeologically relevant area of 3,200 square meters. The terrain here will be excavated to a depth of several meters. Finds reported since the 17th century and targeted investigations by the cantonal archaeological service between 2017 and 2023 have revealed an extensive Roman settlement site with well-preserved stone buildings in places in and around the affected plot.

View of the massive stone foundations uncovered during the course. Photo: Cantonal Archaeology, © Canton Aargau
View of the massive stone foundations uncovered during the course. Photo: Cantonal Archaeology, © Canton Aargau

 An ancient cemetery with gravestones of soldiers stationed in Vindonissa was located directly to the west of the affected plot 2,000 years ago. As similar constellations in the Roman Empire show, the settlement and cemetery of Gebenstorf were laid out at an apparently legally binding distance – in Latin: “extra leugam” – from the associated garrison town of Vindonissa. The leuge is a Roman mile and corresponds to 2.22 kilometers, which is exactly the distance between the legionary camp and the settlement site in Gebenstorf.

As early as 2019 and 2020, when there was no concrete construction project yet, the cantonal archeology conducted its field course with volunteers in the Steinacher in Gibenstorf. Under the direction of cantonal archeology, the volunteers documented the walls of a large stone building, the construction of which, with projecting buttresses and pilaster foundations, indicates a granary or a warehouse. A monumental building with an administrative function is also conceivable. The majority of finds were amphora shards, which most likely suggest a kind of reloading station immediately south of the Limmat.

The planned construction measures include in-depth excavation for the basement and ground floor, earth interventions for factory lines and systems, removal for construction site installations and changes to the terrain as part of the surrounding design. As a result, the Roman remains preserved in the ground are destroyed, which is why cantonal archeology, in accordance with the legal mandate, scientifically examines the areas beforehand, documents them and secures the finds.

Wall angle made of sintered lime blocks exposed during the field course. Photo: Cantonal Archaeology, © Canton Aargau
Wall angle made of sintered lime blocks exposed during the field course. Photo: Cantonal Archaeology, © Canton Aargau

The rescue excavation will take place in two excavation stages from April to November 2024 and March to May 2025. The building perimeter will be released for the new building at the beginning of June 2025, and the western part will be released in autumn 2024. Here, the excavation and the construction project are closely linked. The scientific and conservational follow-up work on the recovered small finds will then extend until November 2025.

The excavation in Gibstorf not only secures the archaeological remains but also enables knowledge of the history of Vindonissa to be gained. From a scientific point of view, the complex of this “planned settlement” is of great importance, as here, in a largely undisturbed area, essential statements can be made on the question of the relationship between Roman military camps and their civilian settlements, which is intensively discussed in international research.

The results of the excavation will be conveyed during the further course of the investigation with excavation tours. We can look forward to the coming weeks.

Related Articles

Irish archaeologists discover a rare 1,600-year-old idol in the Roscommon bog

13 August 2021

13 August 2021

A 1,600-year-old wooden pagan idol has been discovered in a bog in Co Roscommon by Irish archaeologists. This rare artifact...

The mythical hero of Troy and Rome Aeneas’s peerless mosaic discovered in Türkiye

11 May 2023

11 May 2023

A large mosaic depicting the legendary Trojan hero Aeneas, the protagonist of Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid” and the ancestor...

New Discovery at Karahan Tepe: The Figure of a Running Wild Donkey Carved on Stone

31 August 2024

31 August 2024

The figure of a running wild donkey carved on a stone was discovered during excavations at Karahan Tepe, a Pre-Pottery...

Vase for holy oil used by ‘hidden Christians’ in Japan

24 May 2023

24 May 2023

After the family that had passed it down through the generations permitted the artifact to be examined, a relic from...

Archaeologists Find One of the Long-Lost Holy Cities in Jordan

13 July 2025

13 July 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery in Jordan has brought one of the Holy Land’s long-lost cities back to light. Researchers now...

Europe’s Oldest Megalithic Alignments Dated with Unprecedented Precision

28 June 2025

28 June 2025

New research reveals that the Carnac alignments in Brittany may be Europe’s oldest megalithic monuments, pushing back the timeline of...

Portugal’s Enigmatic Roman Building “Tower of Centum Cellas”

4 February 2024

4 February 2024

The Tower of Centum Cellas (also known as the “Tower of St. Cornelius”), located in the Mount of Santo Antão...

1,600-year-old fragment Of Enigmatic Roman Artifact Discovered In Belgium

17 February 2023

17 February 2023

A metal detectorist in Belgium discovered a piece of a mysterious bronze artifact known as a Roman dodecahedron, which is...

73 intact Wari mummy bundles and Carved Masks Placed On False Heads Discovered In Peru

1 December 2023

1 December 2023

At Pachacámac, an archaeological site southeast of Lima in Peru, archaeologists unearthed bundles of 73 intact mummy bundles, some containing...

Excavations show the Temple of Poseidon at Samikon is more Monumental than Previously Assumed -New Discoveries

3 November 2024

3 November 2024

New excavations by archaeologists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Greek Ministry of Culture in Kleidi-Samikon in the...

A rare sheep carriage and ancient chariots found near mausoleum of China’s first emperor

28 October 2023

28 October 2023

A rare “six-sheep” carriage and a four-wheeled wooden chariot were discovered near the mausoleum of Qinshihuang, China’s first Emperor during...

Al-Aqiser Church, Disappears in the Depths of The Iraqi Desert

10 May 2021

10 May 2021

In a country that has been devastated by successive conflicts and economic crises, Al-Aqiser, like the numerous Christian, Islamic and...

Bronze Age Petroglyphs discovered in Kazakhstan

1 May 2024

1 May 2024

Volunteers in Kazakhstan have discovered new petroglyphs from the Bronze Age. The rock carvings were found by volunteers of the...

Ritual Sacrifice of Pregnant Woman: Ecuador may Reflect the Community’s Fear of Her Power

28 January 2025

28 January 2025

In a remarkable archaeological find in Ecuador, researchers have uncovered the rich burial of a pregnant woman and her fetus,...

1600-Year-Old Rare Roman Glass Diatreta with Gladiator Scene Unearthed in Doclea, Montenegro

13 June 2025

13 June 2025

An extraordinary archaeological discovery has been made in the ancient Roman city of Doclea, located near Podgorica, Montenegro. During recent...