Latest news with #FrenchNationalInstituteforPreventiveArchaeologicalResearch
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Century-old graffiti found at French prison reveals forgotten occupants. See it
Building No. 7 of the Écrouves Detention Center sits abandoned on the prison property, decades after unsanitary and dangerous conditions made it unsafe to house inmates. The prison wing was set to be demolished, making room for a new building under the France Ministry of Justice. Then archaeologists found something hidden on the walls. Specialists in contemporary conflicts were interested in studying the building before its destruction because of its former use as military barracks, according to a May 28 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. The researchers conducted surveys to understand the development, alterations and transformations the facility underwent over its century-long history, including characterizing and describing the wall coverings of Building No. 7, according to the release. Some of the plasters and layers of paint were carefully and meticulously removed by scalpel and scraper, officials said, and the specialists noticed words engraved and painted under the top coats. As they peeled back the layers, they found hundreds of graffiti written on the walls. The words were names, surnames, dates, cities and towns, sometimes with illustrations for reference, according to the release. The markings were dated to between 1924 and 1928, a period between the World Wars when the facility stopped being used as a barracks and before it was a prison, officials said. Instead, the building was used as a stopping point for immigrants heading to eastern France to work in the mines and steelworks facilities, according to the release. The majority of the names are Polish, but there are also French, German, Czech, Yugoslav and Italian former residents of the buildings written on the walls. The cities and towns are likely their cities of origin, officials said. The section was built between 1913 and 1914 to house the 168th infantry regiment and later housed the No. 20 Complementary Hospital in World War I. Companies of Spanish workers were housed starting in 1939 as they strengthened France's military defense. In 1940, the barracks became an internment camp for Italian suspects, later used as a prisoner of war camp under the German occupation. Communist opponents were housed there in 1941, then Jews from Lorraine in 1942, according to the release. It closed in 1944 when Allied troops liberated the region, then was used as a transit camp for Germans being sent home from civilian internment camps in France. In 1946, the Ministry of Justice took over the site, using it as a modern-day prison. While so many have walked through the halls of Building No. 7, researchers were largely unaware of the significant number of immigrant workers staying there in between the two wars, according to the release. Over the years, the walls were painted and repainted, walls torn down and modifications made, slowly covering up the pocket of history. When excavations are completed, archaeologists will remove eight sections of graffiti-lined walls to study the written names and locations, according to the release. Écrouves is in northeastern France, about a 200-mile drive east from Paris. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
Miami Herald
30-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Ancient graves — from children to warriors — found during construction in France
At the beginning of the century, archaeologists in a town just outside Paris discovered an ancient graveyard. More than 500 burials from the Gallic period were found across an area of about one-third of an acre, dating to the third and second centuries B.C. There was nothing comparable in Europe at the time, according to an April 25 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. But in the decades since, various construction projects have revealed smaller satellite burial groups of about 10 people, according to the release. Now, another has been discovered. During ongoing work on urban networks and planters in Bobigny, archaeologists were alerted to another necropolis just 500 feet from the original site, according to the release. Burials of at least 27 people across 26 graves were found, researchers said, and were arranged on the edge of the known ancient settlement area. The burials were found in a highly urban area, meaning archaeologists won't be able to completely uncover the entire site for additional context, according to the release. Most of the bodies had been laid on their backs, but a few were buried on their right side or with their heads elevated, archaeologists said. Wooden casings or cloth shrouds were found in a few graves. Iron brooches that would have been used to secure shrouds or clothing were found placed around the chest or wrist in some graves, researchers said. Archaeologists also found an iron torque, iron, copper alloy and lignite bracelets, an iron ring and vases with both adult and child burials. One burial was unique because it was a double burial of two children, according to the release. One child was about 4 years old, while the other was slightly older. Remnants of a wool shroud were found, and additional study will be needed to determine sex of the bodies or if there was any relation. Another unique burial held a warrior, buried with his shield umbo, a sword and suspension chain and a spearhead. Textiles from about 30 fabrics were also found with metal objects, according to the release. The warrior's grave dates to the third century B.C., archaeologists said. Previous ideas about the satellite cemeteries suggested they were outcasts from the primary necropolis, but the new graves suggest otherwise, as they were buried with care and with funerary goods, according to the release. Isotopic dating, studying the isotopes in the skeletons, will be able to tell the chronology of the burials and how they fit together, researchers said. Bobigny is a suburb of Paris, located just northeast of the city. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
Miami Herald
15-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
2,300-year-old Celtic weapons unearthed in acidic graves in France. See them
In central France, construction for a business park revealed an ancient site in 2022. More than 100 graves were found in an area of about 7,000 square feet, a necropolis comparable in size to those found in Champagne or Burgundy, according to an April 15 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. The site dates back to the Celtic period over 2,300 years ago, archaeologists said, but while the graves remain, the bodies they once held do not. The soil is acidic, slowing eating away at the bones over the centuries and leaving nothing organic behind, according to the release. But that doesn't mean the graves were empty. Archaeologists have now excavated the necropolis and studied the artifacts found within, ranging from pottery to rare weapons, according to the release. One cremation was discovered, archaeologists said, and was accompanied by a precious vase that was covered in both punched motifs and painted bands. Half of the graves still held metal ornaments, according to the release. The majority of goods were bracelets, either on their own or in pairs, archaeologists said. Some were made of simple coiled copper alloy rods, but others were decorated and more elaborate. Some of the bracelets are closed rings or rings with hidden clasps where one end fits into the hollow center of the other end, archaeologists said. Researchers also uncovered 18 fibulas, or brooches, that were significantly damaged in the field and needed to be preserved and reconstructed, according to the release. One was decorated with silver leaf and motifs. The bracelets were dated to the end of the fourth century or beginning of the third century B.C., archaeologists said. What stood out to researchers the most, however, was a set of swords found in two graves. Both swords were still in their scabbards, one of which was called the most spectacular find in the necropolis, according to the release. One sword is shorter, intended to be worn at the waist, and was made of copper alloy and covered with decorative works, archaeologists said. The sword has a pointed blade and was made with an iron antennae and copper spheres, according to the release. The sword has inlays with images of a crescent moon and circle, designs that were popular during the beginning of the fourth century B.C. The second sword is longer and was found with the suspension rings that would have been worn around the waist to hold the scabbard, archaeologists said. The second sword is missing the intricate decoration found on the first, but shreds of fabric still remain on the piece, possibly from the clothes of the person buried with it, or from a shroud or case. The size also dates the sword to the fourth century B.C., according to the release. Archaeologists said the metal ornaments were all well-made, and the swords are a rare find with few equivalents ever found in Europe. The necropolis was found in Creuzier-le-Neuf, in central France, about a 220-mile drive south from Paris. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
Miami Herald
24-03-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Hidden paintings discovered under plaster in 13th-century church in France. See them
On the northwestern tip of France where the English Channel meets the Celtic Sea, the inlet city of Morlaix traces its history to the Romans. The city was later passed between the lords and dukes of the era, eventually falling under power of the English in 1187 and then again in 1522. But during the 13th century, Morlaix residents built a church and later a convent, and this building stands today as the oldest religious monument in the city. Now, restorations of the Jacobin convent have revealed never-before-seen artwork dating back centuries, according to a March 21 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. Researchers, archaeologists and historians began studying the building in September as part of the Musée des Jacobins restoration project, according to the institute. The research began with graphic documentation from topographers and photogrammetrists and with an analysis of historical written and graphic documents, officials said. The entire building was built in three major phases, researchers said, the first of which started in the mid-13th century and included the original nave of the church. The convent was founded in 1234, and this section includes a simple rectangular plan with arched bays. The second phase occurred in the 14th century when there were significant modifications to the building, according to researchers. Workers added an aisle that separated the nave from the choir, and large arches and octagonal pillars formed the barrier, researchers said. In order to make this change, the north wall was demolished, part of significant changes documented in written sources in 1342 and 1371. The third stage included the addition of a chapel which formed a transept-like structure on the north side, according to researchers. At the top of the chapel, the coat of arms of the Dukes of Brittany was painted, or possibly that of Anne of Brittany, the Duchess. As they worked their way through the analysis for restoration, however, they noticed traces of polychromy, or use of multiple colors, in several areas and paint appearing behind layers of plaster, according to researchers. Multiple burial niches were also found when researchers removed modern plasterwork, including triangular decorative elements, according to the release. Other coats of arms were found painted atop pillars and on frames, officials said, from at least four different families. The coats likely all belonged to noble families wishing to make their marks in a religious space, according to the researchers. Notably, a very faded painting of the crucifixion scene with Jesus on the cross was also uncovered, the image of his crown of thorns sticking out from an orange and yellow backdrop. The figure of Christ is accompanied by two others, one of which appears to be a kneeling knight, officials said. The paintings are being studied, and will be restored as part of the larger building project, according to officials. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
Miami Herald
19-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
3,000-year-old settlement — with amazing ovens — unearthed in France. Take a look
A series of immense buildings, dating back three millennia and discovered in France, may have been a central hub of activity and a place to share a large meal. The ancient site was discovered during works at the Escaut Valley Business Park in Onnaing, and archaeologists quickly realized it was a unique find, according to a March 19 release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. Remnants of a settlement dating from the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age — the twelfth century B.C. to the seventh century B.C. — included buildings densely packed together on a 7.4-acre plot, according to the release. About 20 buildings have been unearthed so far, including some rectangular-shaped buildings more than 80 feet long, archaeologists said. Pits found around the buildings suggest the site was used for both daily and artisanal activities, researchers said. Items for spinning and weaving, metalworking and food storage and processing were found. Archaeologists also uncovered a wooden mystery box that raised questions as to its use, according to the release. The box is square and about 18 inches long, researchers said, and uses metal pieces to connect the wooden walls. Archaeologists are unsure what may have been stored in the box. Archaeologists also discovered what they said were amazing ovens that puzzled the research team. They have a central hearth that is large and circular inside the house, which was then filled with reddened clay blocks and carbon material, according to the release. Some combustion structures were rectangular or more oblong in shape, but all shapes were associated with the interior walls of the buildings they were inside. One large circular oven was dug out as a silo, and researchers found a thick floor, which suggests particularly intense fires raged in the oven, possibly used for cooking or ceramics, researchers said. Because so much of the settlement is concentrated in a small space, researchers suggest it acted as a central hub for others in the area and may have held a special status within the society. The finds add to the well-documented history of this era in northern France, archaeologists said. Onnaing is just west of France's northern border with Belgium, about a 60-mile drive southwest from Brussels. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
