Roman road, bronze leopards were found in Switzerland –

Rescue excavations were conducted in Kaiseraugst in northern Switzerland and a wide Roman road lined with porches, baby burials and small artifacts, including a rare bronze leopard statue.

The location is located in the Roman-era low town of Augusta Raurica. Due to its proximity to known ancient cemeteries, between May 2024 and March 2025, the Ministry of Archaeology of Aargau Cantonal has excavated two undeveloped plots, which are planning to build a new apartment building. Previous geophysical surveys of the plots have been mapped out an excavation plan that allows the team to dig more accurately.

The group opened a 13-foot-wide Roman road on either side with columnar porches and buildings. They were able to dig the cellars of two buildings on either side of the road. The floor plan and layout of the buildings show that they are all striptease rooms, very narrow houses facing the road, making it easier for people to enter the road. This building type is the main design in the northwestern province of the Roman Empire.

In the aft courtyard of stripping houses, archaeologists have discovered stone shafts, possibly toilets or storage shafts, and many babies are buried. This is common in the Roman world because the child mortality rate is high, and dead babies are often buried at home rather than in cemeteries.

The development of this quarter began at the end of the 1st century AD and ended in the 3rd century AD. The use of this area in ancient times was mainly recorded by many late Roman coins and personal discoveries. Among many discoveries, there are several special objects: a small bronze leopard figurine, devotee of tuff and a mosaic glass spindle thread. Such discoveries are rare.

The excavation of “Schürmatt” was completed as planned. The entire document is conducted completely digitally – this is the first fully digitally documented excavation from the Department of Archaeology of Aargau Cantonal. All findings are recorded digitally on the site and all data is entered directly into the database. This innovative approach enables extremely precise, effective documentation, even when new standards are set for future projects across states.