Excavations along the western edge of the Roman camp have discovered a few
funeral pyre graves dating to the late
Bronze Age ( 1000–800 BC). The first settlement of Vindonissa was a 1st-century BC
Helvetii fortified village on the peninsula between the
Aare and
Reuss rivers. The settlement was protected by an approximately -long wood and earth wall, with an up to -deep trench, which stretched across the narrow neck of the peninsula. The settlement came under Roman control either after the 58 BC conquest of the Helvetii by
Julius Caesar or the 15 BC
conquest of the Alps. A small guard-post was established on the site around 15 BC. A large
Flavian-period (c. 69–96 CE) peristyle house was found at the eastern part of the camp, near the
principia; It is interpreted as the residence of a high-ranking officer of the 11th legion. A later modification included the installation of an unusually well-preserved Mediterranean-style kitchen with a large raised hearth, one of the few such examples known from the northwestern part of the empire. Finds indicate food preparation for a sizeable household, likely carried out by servants. The finds include a large ceramic assemblage, numerous
amphorae for imported goods, and biological remains showing a diet strongly influenced by
Roman culinary traditions, with evidence for high-quality meat cuts, game, fish, and imported products such as olive oil, wine, fish sauces, and oysters. ==See also==