Reports of dangerous watchmen guarding an underground treasure cave near Augst aroused the interest of treasure hunters as early as the late Middle Ages. The so called 'nine towers' in the 'pagan' ruins there were the subject of legends for a long time. The jurist and collector Basilius Amerbach devoted himself systematically to archeological excavations. On a trip to Italy in 1556, he studied ancient buildings and inscriptions; he used Augusta Raurica, which was close to Basel, as a basis for his research and in order to add to his collection of ancient artefacts. After his own trip to Italy, Remigius Faesch also took up the interest in ancient artefacts shared by many of his peers, gathering recent excavation finds as well as objects that were only ancient in appearance.