2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck discovered with treasures still clustered where it sank
Archaeologists discovered well-preserved ancient Roman cargo, including ceramics, amphorae and rare wheels at a shipwreck site in Switzerland's Lake Neuchâtel.
Archaeologists recently found well-preserved ancient treasures at the bottom of a Swiss lake — and the treasures remain close to where the ship sank.
The shipwreck was found in Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, some 75 miles southwest of Zurich, by a team of Swiss archaeologists, according to news agency Jam Press.
A team of excavators from the Cantonal Archaeology Office of Neuchâtel (OARC), the Octopus Foundation and the Archaeological Service of the State of Fribourg conducted the search in March 2025, though officials didn't announce the finds until last month.
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The cargo, which dates to between 20 and 50 A.D., was once part of a Roman merchant vessel traveling on Lake Neuchâtel.
The treasure includes hundreds of finely crafted dishes, bowls, cups and plates that were produced across the Swiss Plateau, the central lowland region between the Jura Mountains and the Alps.
In antiquity, the area was known as the Roman province of Helvetia.
Pictures from the dive show archaeologists surrounded by ceramic plates, dishes and other debris on the lakebed.
Archaeologists also uncovered amphorae once used to transport olive oil from Hispania, now modern-day Spain.
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The objects were grouped close together — indicating that they remained close to where the ship sank.
Archaeologists also found everyday items used by the crew, including tools, harnesses and parts of wagons.
The wheels, strikingly well-preserved after 2,000 years underwater, are believed to be the only Roman examples of their kind ever found in Switzerland.
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The team also uncovered a sword at the underwater site, which suggests a military escort may have been aboard the ship.
Officials caution that the artifacts are fragile and vulnerable to damage.
In a statement, OARC said the precious artifacts are exposed to lake bed erosion, as well as "the anchoring of pleasure boats… and, above all, acts of vandalism and looting."
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In the meantime, they've removed the most vulnerable items from the site as a precaution.
Officials said the discovery is unlike anything previously found in the region.
"The richness and diversity of this collection of goods, in an excellent state of preservation, make this discovery exceptional, unique in Switzerland and in the inland waters north of the Alps," the statement said.
Researchers are now conserving and studying the artifacts before going on display at the nearby Laténium Archaeology Park and Museum, Switzerland's largest archaeological museum.
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