A re-enactment of the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, in which up to 20,000 Roman soldiers were killed in an ambush by tribesmen

Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a Roman fort where they believe legionaries mounted a futile last stand against tribesmen in a battle later hailed as a key moment in the origins of German nationhood.

An excavation at the site near the village of Kalkriese in northwestern Germany found a layer of sand and piled-up earth that resembles the classic ditch-and-rampart layout of a Roman fort, according to archaeologists who completed their dig this month.

“It looks like a makeshift construction that was erected in great haste by a relatively small force that was evidently under pressure,” said the leader of the dig, Salvatore Ortisi. “The traces of fighting inside suggest the fort was overrun.”

The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, in September AD9, ended