Wahala! Na big discovery wey happen for Switzerland. Underwater archaeologists don find over 1,000 Roman objects for inside Lake Neuchâtel. The tins dey there since between 20 and 50 AD. Na Fabien Langenegger and Julien Pfyffer from Octopus Foundation see am first.
Dem dey dive for the lake when dem see something wey look like pile of circles. At first, dem think say na World War II mines. But when Julien Pfyffer put on him camera light, the colour of terracotta show. Dem see broken plates and know say this one na big thing.
“We stand like statue for top of this load for many minutes,” Pfyffer yarn. “That time, as I dey look Fabien, I know say we dey special situation.” The discovery happen November 2024, but dem hide am well well to avoid thieves.
How dem know say something dey there? Drone footage show dark spot for inside water. Lake Neuchâtel don dey clear for some years, so the spot stand out. Dem think say na wreck, but wetin dem find pass wreck.
Dem do excavation for 2025 and 2026. Two weeks first, almost one month later. From there, dem bring out all these Roman tins. Dem think say na cargo of ship wey carry kitchen utensils from Switzerland go Roman camp. One crate even get date for 17 AD.
But the ship itself no show. Dem still no see the wreck for Lake Neuchâtel. For other places like Rhine for Germany and Rhône for France, dem don find Roman ships before. But this cargo different.
Among the things wey dem find, get two gladiator swords. Dagger dey there. Belt buckle and fibula join. Archaeologists say these things show say legionnaires dey escort the ship. Because of how many things dem find, the cargo fit be for legion of 6,000 men.
Even basket dem see! Wicker basket wey contain six ceramic objects. These ones different from the other load. Dem think say na the plates and food of the sailors wey dey work the ship.
“We don recover all the artefacts from water,” Pfyffer explain. “Over 1,000 things wey fit spoil by anchors or nets or thieves go steal. Now the things dey for cleaning phase. Restoration team dey work am for land.”
He talk say when restorers finish, dem go see wetin archaeologists miss during excavation. Things like manufacturing seals, food traces, even straw wey dem put between plates. For water, sediment cloud cover everything.
Octopus Foundation dey prepare book and documentary film wey go come out 2027. Exhibition go hold for Laténium museum for Neuchâtel. Na Switzerland largest archaeological museum. Date no set yet.
But the team talk say ocean still get plenty historical artefacts wey no enter museum. This discovery na just small part. The find show how Roman empire dey operate for this area. Kitchen utensils, weapons, even sailor personal things – everything dey tell story.
For now, the artefacts dey safe. Dem go study am well. Who know wetin else go show? Maybe dem go find the ship later. Or more things wey go explain how Romans dey live for Switzerland those days.
Na big win for archaeology. And for Switzerland history. Lake Neuchâtel don give us window to Roman past wey nobody expect. The water hide am for almost 2,000 years. Now the secret don open.
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