Latest news with #INRAP
LeMonde
a day ago
- Science
- LeMonde
France's Gergovie plateau continues to reveal its ancient secrets
Wearing white T-shirts stamped "INRAP" (for France's National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) and work pants stained with earth, about 30 people bustled around the "craftsmen's quarter" site at Gergovie, near Clermont-Ferrand. Those digging, dusting and hauling away buckets of stones and sediment under the morning sun on July 17 were mostly students from universities across France, from first-year undergraduate to master's level. Every summer since 2022, around 20 of them have joined the approximately 1,000-square-meter site "to train in excavation techniques, alongside the theoretical courses they take at their university," explained Yann Deberge, an archaeologist with INRAP and head of the site. This 70-hectare plateau overlooking the valley once served as the capital of the Arverni people. The task is not easy, as they are not the first to attempt to unearth Gergovie's past. Since 1861, at least four excavation campaigns have taken place, sometimes leaving behind "invasive traces," in the words of Deberge. "That's a handicap we've tried to turn into a strength," he said. Before plunging back into the Gallic era, the archaeologists dedicated two years to studying previous excavations: They mapped them out and conducted archival research to get inside the heads of their predecessors, rediscovering their methods of working and recording results – all while carrying out their own explorations. The exposed patch of earth shown to journalists that day could be read as "a chronological fresco." From west to east, one moves back in time, from the reign of Augustus (27 BCE to 14 CE), the most recent period of human occupation, to the Gallic period (70 BCE to 50 BCE). "What is interesting about this site is that we can observe the transition from the end of the Iron Age to the Roman period," explained Marion Dacko, a research engineer at the Maison des sciences humaines, a humanities research center in nearby Clermont-Ferrand.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Identified the Body of the Famed ‘Horseman,' Solving a 300-Year-Old Mystery
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Following a 2019 fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, archaeological restoration work uncovered 100 unknown burials under the cathedral, including a mysterious lead coffin. French researchers believe they found the remains of famed French Renaissance poet Joachim du Bellay, who died in 1560. The remains were nicknamed 'The Horseman' upon discovery in 2022 because bone structure showed the man had ridden horses since a young age. This story is a collaboration with Since 1560, nobody was quite sure where the final remains of famed French Renaissance poet Joachim du Bellay wound up. They were believed to be alongside his uncle somewhere under the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, but when archaeologists went looking in 1758, the poet (or what was left of him) was nowhere to be found. Then came another mystery. In 2022, archaeologists discovered an unmarked body under the famous cathedral and nicknamed it 'The Horseman,' because the deceased's bone structure showed he had ridden horses from a young age. Now, experts believe the body is one answer to two mysteries, identifying The Horseman as du Bellay. The French National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) announced in a translated statement the discovery after more than two years of uncertainty surrounding the unidentified remains. The mystery all started with the April 2019 fire at Notre Dame. As INRAP began to work on the restoration of the cathedral, archaeologists discovered 100 unknown burials under Notre Dame. With thousands of people, typically church-goers, buried in what was a necropolis between the 14th and 18th centuries, Notre Dame stands apart from other Catholic burial grounds because the cathedral is largely built atop the cemetery. Finding 100 sets of unidentified remains wasn't all that surprising. But two stood out. Discovered in April 2022, they had been placed in lead sarcophagi—rather than the usual wooden coffins—and buried at the cathedral's transept crossing, a prominent spot where its main wings intersect. One of the lead coffins didn't provide much mystery, with a plaque epitaph labeling it as that of priest Antoine de la Porte, who died in 1710 after 50 years of service at Notre Dame. The other, though, sparked the two-year search for The Horseman. A forensic team from Toulouse University Hospital studied the remains, and according to Eric Crubezy—a biological anthropology professor and research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research—the anonymous individual died in his 30s from chronic tuberculous meningitis in the 16th century. That age was unusual for burials at Notre Dame, which typically held elderly men. Even more intriguing: Aside from Antoine de la Porte, archaeologists didn't find any other intact tombs in the area. 'Research suggests that they may have reoccupied a grave that had housed two people well known in their time,' Crubezy said in the statement. The researchers turned their focus toward du Bellay: horseback rider, tuberculosis sufferer, and poet who died in 1560. While he was believed to be buried in the cathedral, his tomb wasn't found in 1758 near his uncle, even though the family wanted him to be buried by his side. So, was du Balley The Horseman? 'He matches all the criteria of the portrait,' Crubezy said at a news conference, according to La Croix. 'He is an accomplished horseman, suffers from both conditions mentioned in some of his poems, like in 'La Complainte du desespere,' where he describes 'this storm that blurs [his] mind,' and his family belonged to the royal court and the pope's close entourage.' But there's still a wrinkle to the mystery. Christophe Besnier, an INRAP archaeologist, said at the same press conference that the man buried likely grew up in Paris or Lyon thanks to an isotope analysis of teeth and bones. Balley was likely born in Anjou in western France and later moved to Paris, dying in 1560 around the age of 35. That would make The Horseman and du Balley a tough match. But one dissent isn't enough to dissuade everyone. 'What more can we have?' INRAP president Dominique Garcia told Le Monde. 'Find [du Bellay's] toothbrush to check that the DNA matches? His age and pathology alone offer remarkable statistical solidity.' 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 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? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Burial Vault Sealed For 400 Years Found at End of Long-Forgotten Staircase
After a disastrous 1970s renovation, archaeologists tasked with assessing decades of damage have stumbled upon unexpected layers of history in France's Saint-Philibert Church. The 12th-century church is the only structure in the city of Dijon built 'in the manner of the Romans'. It was decommissioned following the French revolution, and was used as a storehouse for salt in the mid-20th century, which wrought damage on the stone structure. As part of a misguided attempt to restore the church in 1974, a heated concrete slab was installed, which drew up further water and salt into the groaning structure, splitting stones apart. The concrete slab has since been removed, and in what started as a new restoration effort, archaeologists from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have found quite a trove. Beneath the slab, they found a long-forgotten staircase that led to a burial vault that's been sealed for at least 400 years. This is the final resting place of dozens of individuals, possible casualties of a catastrophic event like a pandemic or famine. Related: "In the transept, a vault, probably dating from the 15th to 16th centuries, has been identified," INRAP researchers state in a translated press release. "In it, the deceased, both children and adults, are buried in coffins, the bones of each individual being pushed to the sides to make room for the last deceased." The excavation has revealed further layers of history, including slab tombs from the 11th to 13th centuries and sarcophagi that date back to the 6th century. "Planned to extend to a depth of three meters, the excavation has revealed remains dating from Late Antiquity to the modern era," the team states. Confirmed: New Mexico Footprints Rewrite Timeline of Humans in America Video: How Far Away Would You Need to Be to Survive a Nuclear Blast? What Really Killed The Neanderthals? A Space Physicist Has a Radical Idea
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
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- General
- Newsweek
2,300-Year-Old Sword Decorated With Swastikas Discovered
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient Celtic burial ground and retrieved various artifacts―including a sword that was forged 2,300 years ago and decorated with a swastika motif. The swastika is an ancient design that has been used by various cultures throughout history, although it is now commonly associated with Nazi Germany after Adolf Hitler appropriated the symbol for his regime. More than 100 graves were found across a vast site in the town of Creuzier-le-Neuf in central France. The graves were empty of human occupants―the skeletons having crumbled to dust in the area's acidic soil―but dozens of metal objects belonging to the dead were discovered. Newsweek has reached out by email to France's National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) seeking further information and comment. France's INRAP (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) conducts an archaeological dig in Toulouse, southwest France, on August 23, 2024. France's INRAP (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) conducts an archaeological dig in Toulouse, southwest France, on August 23, 2024. Patrick Batard / Hans Lucas via AFP and Getty Images Why It Matters Although the lack of human remains prevents anthropological study, the hoard of possessions—including bracelets, brooches, ceremonial weapons—that were created around the 3rd or 4th century B.C. provides a treasure trove for researchers. The discovery may shed new light on the region's historic culture and wealth, as well as the craftsmanship skills of those living within the society at the time. What To Know Today, the site lies in the small French town of Creuzier-le-Neuf, but back in the Second Iron Age (around 450 to 52 B.C.) the region was a crossroads of ancient cultures, including the Celts from the Arverni, Aedui and Bituriges tribes. The necropolis was first discovered in 2022, although details were not revealed until April 15 this year in France and the Smithsonian Magazine shared the news in the U.S. last week. The 7,000 sq ft site was excavated as work got underway to examine the area. More than 100 graves were found, with metal objects in around half of them. A single cremation burial was also discovered, with the remains of a decorated urn, that has now been painstakingly glued back together. Two expertly crafted swords, still in their copper-alloy scabbards, were also discovered. One was richly decorated, and included at least two swastikas carved on to polished gems. The other was almost entirely absent of decoration, but was found with fragments of fabric, which could have come from a material case or the clothes the deceased owner was wearing when buried. The second sword was longer than the first, and was found with a series of metal rings, which would have allowed it to be worn around the waist. The institute shared a photograph of the decorative sword on X (formerly Twitter), with the translation describing the object as being of "exceptional quality." Deux épées celtiques retrouvées dans leur fourreau Des parures métalliques ainsi que des armes d'une facture exceptionnelle ont été mises au jour par l'Inrap dans une vaste nécropole du second âge du Fer à Creuzier-le-Neuf (Allier) 👉 — Inrap (@Inrap) April 15, 2025 What People Are Saying A translation of a press release published by France's National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) reads: "Nearly half of the burials contain metal ornaments. Bracelets, either singly or in pairs, are common. Some are simple coiled copper alloy rods, others are more elaborate and decorated. Most are closed rings or rings with hidden clasps (one end fitting into the hollow part of the other). One grave yielded a pair of well-preserved bracelets decorated with circular shapes (ocelli) and long curves." Two swords were found in their scabbards, and INRAP said: "One is undoubtedly the most spectacular object in the necropolis [...] Its scabbard allowed it to be worn at the waist. The handle and front plate of the scabbard, made of copper alloys, are covered with scrollwork or ocelli. Several cabochons [polished gemstones] adorn the edges of the already richly decorated scabbard. At least two of them feature swastika decorations and probably glass paste. The sword consists of a short, elongated, pointed blade with a handle with antennas, made of iron, combined with spheres made of copper alloys or copper. X-rays revealed inlays on the top of the blade: a circle and a crescent moon separated by a line. The detail of the decorations indicates a design at the very beginning of the 4th century BC." INRAP archaeologist Vincent Georges told the journal Live Science that swastikas are known to have been widely used by the Celts in mainland Europe in the 4th and 5th centuries B.C., although the significance of the symbol to them is unclear. One of the brooches found at the burial site featured eye-like markings, another design that was "fashionable among Celtic craftsmen" from the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., Georges said. What Happens Next Details have just been announced about the findings and it was not immediately clear whether the objects are intended to go on public display in the future. In any case, the discovery will spark excitement among history buffs as well as archaeologists and researchers.
