EVELINE RUTZ In November 2024, two divers discovered numerous round objects at the bottom of Lake Neuchâtel. Were they Second World War mines? Only when they switched on their lamps did they realise this was something completely different. “You could tell from the colour that it was terracotta,” Julien Pfyffer, founder and president of the Octopus Foundation, recalls. He and an archaeologist from the canton of Neuchâtel recognised that they were looking at an array of ancient dinner plates. They then came across various other ceramic vessels strewn among the algae, mussels, sand and stones – countless cups, bowls and dishes. This was an extraordinary find. “We remained rooted to the spot for several minutes, surveying the cargo,” says Pfyffer. Two and a half years have since passed, with the Neuchâtel cantonal archaeology office (OARC) carrying out subsequent excavations in 2025 and 2026 – supported by the archaeological service of the canton of Fribourg (SAEF), and the Octopus Foundation. A joint team of experts identified and documented around 1,000 objects not far from the lake shore. They brought crates of artefacts up from the depths and took them to the Laténium archeological park and museum in Hauterive, where Roman ship cargo discovered Archaeologists have discovered ceramics, tools and weapons dating back to the 1st century CE at the bottom of Lake Neuchâtel. This find could provide new insights into Roman-era goods transportation, trade networks and technical know-how. they are currently being stored in a controlled environment. Fearing looters and vandals, the team kept their work on the project strictly confidential and have only recently informed the public. “The find is of inestimable value,” says the head of OARC, Sonia Wüthrich, adding that the richness, variety and unusually good condition of the cargo are unprecedented in Switzerland. An important transport and trade route Archaeologists speculate that the items come from a merchant vessel that sank some time between 20 and 50 CE. Back then, Lake Neuchâtel formed part of a key transport and trade route that connected the southern and northern parts of the Roman “We remained rooted to the spot for several minutes.” Julien Pfyffer, president of the Octopus Foundation Circle shapes at the bottom of Lake Neuchâtel – a drone image led to the spectacular discovery. Photo: Octopus Foundation Swiss Review / July 2026 / No. 3 20 History
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