• ARCHAEOLOGY
  • Military science
  • Religion
  • Historical context
    • The excavations
    • The Gallic Roman civilization
    • The Pax Romana
    • The villas
    • The dark years
    • Archaelogical context
    • The region
  • Agricultural Archaeology
  • Beer
  • The vallus
• WALKING IN MALAGNE
• TEACHERS
• CHILDREN

Archaeological context

On Malagne, in the hamlet Neufchâteau or Noû Chestai, the Archaeological  Association of Namur excavated in 1890 and 1891 a residence of 104 metres long with 4 annexes on a surface of 3,5 hectares. At that time people were hardly aware that almost the whole design of a villa can be imitated.

The team that performed the excavations existed of at least three men and was lead by Jean-Jacques Godelaide, a digger in the service of the Archaeological Association of Namur. The report of these excavations, published in 1895 by Alfred Mahieu was remarkable complete for its time.

The material discovered existed of some painted pieces, a bottom piece of a stone pillar, buckles or clasps and some coins. The diggers worked according the method of that time: they were satisfied by excavating some rooms of the building and drawing a map, as if the building had been constructed in only one phase. The different stages of construction were not taken into account.

Today we know that this is not enough. New investigations were started at 1st April 1992 for a period of six years. The interest for these excavations was in particular to determine the exact sequence. Meaning, to distinct the current wall from former ones or even the ones therefore. In this way an image could be drawn of the construction of the annexes, the remains and the changes in usage of the various spaces, etc. In fact, these indications could also shead a light to the entire economical and political context of a region.

This mission of excavations proofed to be of particular value. The manner of dealing with the job lead to the exposure of a considerable surface of one of the biggest villas of the northern part of Gaul. Objective was to determine the relative chronological construction sequence of the buildings, and thus understand their evolution, but at the same time study the surroundings of this villa (by means of analysing pollen for instance). From this study the excavations of the other villas were put in a different perspective.