Archaeologists in Gebenstorf, Switzerland, uncovered a Roman-era administrative complex that appears to have been intended as the core of a larger planned city but was never completed. A 14-month excavation recovered more than 1,600 artifacts — including coins, weights, a stylus and a folding ruler — pointing to commercial and bureaucratic activity in the late first century C.E. A rare intact amphora contained Atlantic sardine remains consistent with Roman fish sauce, likely produced in Baetica (modern Andalusia) or possibly near Lyon, dated to about 25–50 C.E.
Roman Administrative Complex Unearthed Near Limmat River — A Planned City That Never Materialized
Archaeologists Found Traces of a Nonexistent CityGrant Faint - Getty Images
Archaeologists working near the Limmat River at Gebenstorf in northern Switzerland have uncovered the remains of a previously unknown Roman-era administrative complex that appears to have been intended as the nucleus of a much larger urban settlement — a city that, for reasons still unclear, was never completed.
Fourteen months of careful excavation by the Cantonal Archaeology Department recovered more than 1,600 artifacts dated to the late first century C.E. Among the finds were 137 coins, specialized weights, a stylus, and a folding ruler — objects strongly associated with trade, accounting and record‑keeping in Roman contexts.
Architectural evidence exposed three substantial river-facing buildings with Roman-style features. One building had a double-aisled portico with columned walkways; another contained a sunken hall similar to forum marketplaces; and an eastern complex included courtyards, corridors, multiple entrances and rooms. The excavation team attributes construction activity in the area to the 11th Legion, based at nearby Vindonissa.
Archaeologists interpret the arrangement of structures as a multifunctional administrative and commercial center that would have supported a planned urban settlement. Despite the advanced planning and provisioning indicated by the finds, the envisioned town itself was never established.
Daily-life material and a rare intact amphora were also recovered. Thousands of pottery sherds were catalogued, but only one complete amphora was found intact and sent to the University of Basel for conservation. Analysis of the grey‑white sediment inside revealed small fish bones and scales identified as Atlantic sardine, indicating the vessel once contained liquid fish sauce — a common Roman condiment.
This represents the first recorded discovery of Atlantic sardines from the Roman period in Switzerland. The find highlights how Roman economies exploited coastal resources and produced fermented fish sauces (garum or liquamen) in large quantities, which were then transported across the empire in amphorae.
Clay composition tests on the amphora suggest a likely production origin along the coast of the Roman province of Baetica (modern Andalusia, Spain), although a manufacturing origin near present‑day Lyon remains possible. Based on typology and trade patterns, the amphora and its contents are dated to roughly 25–50 C.E., during the height of western Mediterranean fish‑sauce commerce.
Significance. The combination of administrative implements, legionary proximity and specialized storage evidence implies that planners were provisioning an administrative seat with facilities for storing traded goods such as fish sauce. The discovery sheds new light on Roman planning and trade networks in northern Switzerland and suggests the region came close to hosting a major Roman urban center in the late first century C.E.
The Cantonal Archaeology Department has produced a documentary about the excavation and continues to analyze the finds to better understand why the planned settlement was abandoned.
