Emergency dig reveals ancient infant burials at construction site in Switzerland
Prior to the construction of two apartment buildings in Switzerland, archaeologists surveyed the ground for anything historically significant buried below.
With the multi-family residences being built near the town of Augusta Raurica — a huge Roman site and open-air museum — archaeological discoveries are not a rarity in the region.
The survey of the over 19,000-square-foot plot in the Schürmatt district of Kaiseraugst resulted in a “rescue excavation,” completed when a site is in danger of being destroyed, with development pressures being the most common cause.
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The excavation, which lasted from May 2024 to March, revealed a Roman road lined with porticoes, well-preserved buildings, their respective courtyards and numerous special artifacts, according to an April 23 news release from the Canton of Aargau.
The road was about 12 feet wide and appeared to have been renovated multiple times, experts said.
Archaeologists discovered several infant burial sites in some of the buildings and courtyards, noting that it was not a common practice in Roman times for babies to be buried in cemeteries, according to the release.
Experts said these graves showcase how people cared for the dead and provide evidence of the high infant mortality rate during that time.
Experts said the settlement was built at the end of the first century and was completed during the third century.
Other rare finds at the site include a small bronze panther, a mosaic glass spindle whorl, and a tuff — or rock — votive, according to the release.
Kaiseraugst is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Zurich.
The excavation was led by the Cantonal Archaeology Department.
Google Translate and Translate GPT were used to translate the news release from the Aargau Cantonal Archaeology Department.
