Roman Ruins Halt the March of Swiss Real Estate

In the prosperous, meticulously organized Swiss canton of Thurgau, the relentless demand for multi-family housing and subterranean parking has temporarily yielded to a much older real estate venture. Before excavators can pour concrete for a new residential block in Eschenz, the local archaeological office has been methodically scraping away the damp soil to reveal Tasgetium, a 2,000-year-old Roman settlement. It seems the ancients also appreciated prime riverfront property where the Untersee flows into the Rhine, establishing a strategic outpost perfectly suited for a bridge.

The current dig, which began in March, has exposed a remarkably intact Roman street scene. Researchers have uncovered a wide gravel road flanked by the ancient equivalent of terraced housing, complete with clay floors. Archaeologist Simone Benguerel from the Thurgau Office for Archaeology stated that her team is essentially conducting the preliminary building excavation, albeit meticulously and layer by layer. The mundane detritus of first-century life—shattered pottery, discarded food scraps, and dropped coins—now halts the march of modern Swiss construction, if only briefly. Previous excavations in the area even turned up wooden writing tablets and a pan flute, suggesting a level of cultural refinement that predates the modern obsession with underground garages.

What makes Tasgetium an archaeological prize is precisely what made it a headache for Roman engineers: a swamp. The settlement was constructed on a marshy alluvial delta. To keep their homes from sinking, the Romans laid down elaborate wooden foundation grids. Tree-ring analysis indicates these timber supports rotted and had to be replaced roughly every quarter of a century. Fortunately for modern historians, this waterlogged earth proved to be a superb preservative for organic material. The damp conditions are responsible for the site's distinct, slightly sulfurous odor, which Benguerel attributes to the natural processes keeping the ancient wood intact.

Naturally, the Romans were not the last to build over this damp patch of earth. By the tenth century, the site served as the center of medieval Untereschenz, anchored by a church dedicated to St. Vitus. This structure survived until 1738, when a growing population and structural decay prompted the locals to demolish it and relocate to higher ground. The church foundations lingered quietly in the mud until they were rediscovered during an earlier excavation in 2007.

True to the highly functional nature of the Swiss state system, a pragmatic compromise between heritage and property development has been reached. The forthcoming apartment complex will simply be constructed over the preserved medieval ruins, sealing them away once more. Meanwhile, the Roman artifacts will be cataloged and shipped off to the Historisches Museum Thurgau in Frauenfeld. Once the archaeological documentation is complete, the developers can finally get back to their lucrative business of housing the affluent citizens of modern Eschenz.

Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com