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Origin and history

The Merovingian necropolis of Civaux, located in the Vienne department in New Aquitaine, is a funeral site of rare originality, without any known equivalent. Used continuously for more than 1700 years, it houses several hundred sarcophagi dating mainly from the Merovingian period (500-750 A.D.). Some are still in place, while others, aligned, form characteristic rows. What distinguishes this place in particular is its enclosure delimited by lids of sarcophagi erect vertically, in the manner of menhirs, a disposition already attested in the eighteenth century. These funeral stones bear symbolic engravings (fish, cross, chrism) and Christian inscriptions, such as the names Maria or Pientia, testifying to the progressive Christianization of funeral practices.

The site reveals a remarkable historical stratification, with burials of different periods: Roman (oldest), medieval, and re-uses of Roman architectural fragments (like columns) as lids. About 16,000 sarcophagi were recorded on and around the site, making Civaux one of the largest necropolises of this period in France. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1923, the necropolis is now available free of charge to the public. Additional resources, such as audioguides and guided tours, are offered to the Civaux Archaeological Museum to deepen its discovery.

The spatial organization of the cemetery, with its sarcophagi re-used at the fence, suggests a collective and lasting management of the funeral space, reflecting the symbolic and practical importance of this place for successive communities. Excavations and studies have highlighted the diversity of burial practices, as well as the reuse of materials over the centuries, illustrating cultural and religious continuity between late Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

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