Latest news with #FrenchNationalInstituteforPreventiveArchaeologicalResearch
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Discovered an Unprecedented Ancient Monument That Could Rewrite History
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: An archaeological find revealed in eastern France offers a never-seen-before mix of enclosures. The site was in use across at least three distinct time periods. Linked in part to burials, researchers hope further study reveals more about the site's dating and purpose. As if one ancient circular enclosure wasn't enough to evoke intrigue at an archaeological find in Eastern France, three interconnected enclosures raised the bar. In what the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) is calling an 'unprecedented' discovery in Marliens, France, near Dijon, excavations revealed a series of occupations on one site spanning from the Neolithic period to the First Iron Age. Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the Issue Get the IssueGet the Issue Get the Issue The oldest occupation features a monument with three interlocking enclosures. The center section offers a circular enclosure 36 feet in diameter, the largest in the bunch. To the north a smaller 26-foot-long horseshoe-shaped enclosure connects directly to the main center piece. To the south, a circular design remains open on one side, but still ties to the main circle. The team believes all three structures are linked together in both positioning and dating and that a gravel layer found on the two side enclosures suggests a fence was also present. 'This type of monument seems unprecedented and currently no comparison has been possible,' the research team says in a statement. A bundle of artifacts—including seven flint arrowheads, two archer's bracers, a flint lighter, and a copper alloy dagger—discovered in the site's ditches correspond to cut flints, suggesting attribution to the Neolithic period, potentially as far back as 10,000 BC to 2,200 BC. Radiocarbon analytics is planned to help determine exact dating. The team located an armband with traces of iron oxide tied to pyrite, indicating it could have been used to light fires. These objects often accompany a burial, but the team couldn't make that conclusion just yet in this case. 'Analyses of the composition of the copper alloy of the dagger should make it possible to establish its origin and provide us with information on commercial exchanges at that time,' the team writes. In another location on the site, the team dates five circular enclosures—four open and one closed across a 64,000 square foot plain—between 1500 BC and 1300 BC. The remains of burials and a funeral pyre were found in the ditches of the largest enclosure, although the acidity of the soil didn't allow the preservation of unburned bones, so the team was not able to find a complete burial. Dating based on five copper alloy pins, a necklace with 40 amber beads, and rare ceramic shards confirms the timing. A First Iron Age occupation is also nearby, about 1,300 feet from the plain, this with urns and burial ornaments. Early Bronze Age wells sit nearby. An analysis of the clay layers at the bottom of the wells may provide information on the natural environment and landscape of the valley during the Bronze Age. The team believes that with the analytics underway on the objects found at the site, combined with paleo-environmental studies, they will be able to 'propose a scenario of the evolution of this territory over the ages.' Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide Get the Guide You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Miami Herald
01-07-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Rare half-ton statue — once guarding medieval gate — unearthed in France. See it
Built along the banks of the Moselle river, the ancient city of Toul, France, has seen centuries of change. Once the capital of a Belgic tribe, the town was on the edge of the Roman Empire, then evangelized in the fourth century and ruled by sovereign bishops. It wasn't until the middle of the 16th century that the city became part of the Kingdom of France. By then, the city had been built and torn down more than once, leaving remnants of past communities buried under new layers. Now, archaeologists are pulling back the layers of the ancient city, revealing the stages of history as they sift through the rubble. Archaeologists were working on 'La Place,' a medieval northern city gate that was demolished in the 1700s, when they found a large, carved stone, according to a June 27 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. The stones of the gate were broken down by military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, but the pieces were put back together as a fortified wall and later as a retaining wall established in the ditch where the gate once stood, archaeologists said. The lower section, possibly used as a cellar or low room, was then filled with rubble and some of the more architectural elements of the gate, hidden below the surface, according to the release. In this rubble, archaeologists uncovered a rare Renaissance-style equestrian statue, broken but mostly preserved, officials said. It included the body, upper legs, neck and head of the horse, as well as the pelvis, thighs and a saddle cloth belonging to the rider, according to the release. The head and limbs of the rider, which may have been able to identify them, was missing, archaeologists said. The statue stands out from other examples of the style by its sheer size — the main fragment alone weighs more than 1,000 pounds and is 3.6 feet long and about 2 feet wide. The entire piece likely stood about 5 and a half feet tall, and a similar length, when pieced back together, archaeologists said. The sculpture is made from a white shell limestone, possibly originating from Barrois in eastern France, according to the release. Archaeologists believe the statue would have been placed in a niche overlooking the city gate during the 15th and 16th centuries. When the gate was demolished, the statue was taken down and placed at the base of the monument, and its pieces were quickly buried. The style of art mimics examples seen from the Romans, archaeologists said. French and Italian Renaissance artists were commonly inspired by statues in the Roman capital depicting Marcus Aurelius on horseback, and their works would show a Roman noble figure draped in a tunic and cloak, according to the release. Similar pieces can be found across Naples, Florence and Milan, and Italian artists were sometimes commissioned to make these kinds of pieces in France, archaeologists said. The horse and rider sculpture, while likely made during the end of the medieval period, was inspired by the ancient Roman work and would have been symbolic of aristocratic power and Italian Renaissance ideas reaching France, according to the release. A total of 27 statue pieces were found, and additional analysis aims at putting them together through 3D modeling. Archaeologists are also hoping to identify who may have commissioned the work, because mention of not only the statue but also the gate are mainly absent from archives and historical accounts, according to the release. The statue was possibly commissioned by King of France Henry II, who conquered the Three Bishoprics of Lorraine in 1552 and worked to reinforce the fortifications around Toul, archaeologists said. It could have also been commissioned by the Cardinal of Lorraine, who was a lover of Renaissance art and a close friend and diplomat of Francis I with the Pope, as the style stands out from the 16th-century architecture still seen in Toul today, according to the release. Toul 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
25-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Remarkable mosaic found in ancient home built into a hill in France. Take a look
On a hill just outside the French Alps, a group of ancient homes have been unearthed. Archaeologists began working on the site looking over the town of Alès in February, and have now revealed the discoveries made there, according to a June 24 news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. The site dates to between the second and sixth centuries, and at least four homes have been uncovered, partially built into the rock of the hill, archaeologists said. They are well-preserved, archaeologists said, which is not only indicative of the expertise of the builders in their construction, but also in their water management. The walls of the homes are lined with an internal layer of clay that would have prevented water from seeping through limestone banks in the hill and into the homes, particularly during bad weather, archaeologists said. On the clay, there are remnants of wall paintings, though they are now rare and hard to read. One home, with a total area of more than 8,000 square feet, was built into two phases, archaeologists said. Some of the stone used to create the home was part of the earth, while other parts of the building are made from beaten sediment, according to the release. Concrete pavers with small pieces possibly used to create mosaics were also found. On the east side of the building a makeshift rainwater drainage system was built by cutting the ends off amphorae, or vases, and fitting them into one another, archaeologists said. This was likely used to bring water off the roof away from the home. The most remarkable find, however, was discovered in the state room of a domus, or a Roman house built in an urban area and typically occupied by a wealthy family, according to the release. A roughly 12 foot by 15 foot mosaic was laid into the floor in a geometric pattern using black, white and red colors, photos show. The red was a deep shade, archaeologists said, meaning it may have been made from a precious pigment, and analysis will be needed to determine if the color was derived from cinnabar, a mineral like mercury sulfide. There were also a few yellow tiles, which archaeologists called peculiar. Around the main pattern were entire sections of white tiles without any pattern, and they may have been used as smaller alcoves or to denote special arrangements of furniture or a bench, archaeologists said. One side also has a pattern of white crosses on a black background, which likely indicated an opening that could have led to another room that wasn't preserved, according to the release. Studying the organization of the building will confirm its use as a domus, archaeologists said. During the excavations, archaeologists also uncovered 10 graves dating to the Late Antiquity period, or the mid-fifth century to the end of the sixth century, according to the release. Two graves in the same style were found separate from the other 10, archaeologists said. The land, now terraced, had been previously transformed in the 16th and 18th centuries, and the terraces were created and reworked during the 19th century, according to the release. Alès is a town in southern France, just southwest of the Alps. Google Translate was used to translate the news release from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient Roman Villa, Largest of Its Kind, Unearthed in France
Archaeologists in France have unearthed one of the largest Roman-era villas ever found in the country, the Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventives (French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research—INRAP) reported. The villa was discovered in Burgundy and is believed to have once belonged to an aristocratic Roman who owned a great deal of land in the area. The site has been recognized as an archaeological site since the 19th century, but proper excavations didn't begin until 1966 when one structure, spanning 700 square meters, was unearthed. With the latest discovery, which spans 4,000 m², scientists now believe that the first structure was just one piece of a much larger compound. The most recent excavation revealed a substantial residential area located near a spacious garden measuring about 900 m², which led to a quadrangular pool on one side and a fountain on the other, both of which were common fixtures of Roman-era garden design. Fencing the garden were colonnaded galleries which led to an assortment of technical rooms, reception halls, and staff quarters, including what was likely a kitchen. The complex's eastern wing was found to contain a large bathing complex. Researchers believe that the layout suggests the complex was constructed in two or three different phases. Though only part of it has been recovered, it is already one of the most expansive Roman encampments ever discovered in the region. The materials and relics found at the site will undergo further analysis to determine details about the daily lives of the complex's Roman Villa, Largest of Its Kind, Unearthed in France first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Thought They Found an Ancient Roman Home. They Only Scratched the Surface.
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A Gallo-Roman residence first found in 1966 was recently re-examined, and archeologists found that earlier excavations had only partially uncovered what was hidden. The 43,000-square-foot residence in central France included radiant flooring and enclosed baths, and was built sometime between the first and fourth centuries A.D. The Gallo-Roman home was obviously for a wealthy family—possibly aristocrats. Archaeologists only scratched the surface—quite literally—in 1966 when they examined what is now known to be one of the grandest Roman-era villas ever discovered in central France. When crews began the process of creating a gravel pit on the bank of the Yonne River back in the 1960s, they uncovered a 10-room, 7,500-square-foot residence—and stopped digging. Now, new archaeological work shows that the impressive find from nearly 60 years ago wasn't the crown jewel of the site, but simply the 'secondary wing' of a striking 43,000-square-foot home complete with gardens, thermal baths, radiant heating, mosaics, and all the other things a wealthy aristocrat from the first through fourth century A.D. could ask for. According to an announcement from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research from the Sainte-Nitasse archaeological site, the four-acre property along the river shows off Gallo-Roman culture in Roman Gaul. 'We are not talking about a simple country residence,' the team wrote in a translated statement, 'but the core of a vast agricultural estate managed by a family belonging to the political or economic elite of the region.' The large villa in Roman Gaul is impressive not only for the transparent size of the structure, but for what it says about the development of residential buildings of the time. These sites often feature sophisticated architecture with materials such as marble, mosaics, and frescoes. Many also include pools, fountains, and gardens that create courtyards and private sanctuaries. This villa has all of that, and few villas have it all in the same scale. 'It is rare to find a pars urbana [residential area] so developed and excavated so extensively,' the team wrote. The building has a perimeter wall around it, expansive gardens on each side, a pool to the north, and a fountain to the south. The home features gallery rooms, reception spaces, work areas, a kitchen, traces of mosaics, and even thermal baths attached to the dwelling that fill the eastern wing. Initial findings suggest two stages of construction, although the team hasn't ruled out a third possible phase, which could coincide with the growth of the ancient of Auxerre (near which this villa was built). The city began as a secondary rural settlement at the beginning of the first century, and grew into a capital city by the fourth century. The researchers plan to analyze the recovered artifacts to hopefully reconstruct the daily life of the residents of the Gallo-Roman villa. 'While the size of the buildings outlines the very comfortable lifestyle of the occupants,' the team wrote, 'the remains of their daily lives still need to be studied to better characterize them.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
