Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Musée des Temps barbariques de Marle, installed in an old mill on the edge of the Serre, is dedicated to the Merovingian period. Opened in 1991, it exhibits the discoveries of a necropolis excavated between 1981 and 1987, revealing 458 burials of the 6th and 7th centuries, accompanied by a rich funerary furniture (arms, jewellery, pottery). The objects illustrate cultural practices mixing Christian and Germanic influences, such as a sarcophagus lid decorated with crosses and stylized snakes.

The necropolis, occupied between 530-540 and 680-690, was organized into two graveyards with aligned graves. Nearby, three areas of Merovingian habitat were discovered between 1988 and 1997, revealing traces of daily life. These excavations allowed the reconstruction of a frank village typical of the 6th and 7th centuries, with wooden buildings, attices, a palisade and a well, on a site of 4 hectares adjacent to a reconstructed farm.

The museum combines archaeological objects, models and reconstructions to immerse visitors in the High Middle Ages. An archaeological garden in the process of development presents plants cultivated or used at the time (spelt, flax, hemp, medicinal plants). Every year, events such as the Merovingian Days and a Living History Festival boost the site, linking heritage and cultural mediation.

The origin of the project dates back to 1980, when a farmer from Goudelancourt-lès-Pierrepont discovered a sarcophagus cover by ploughing. This finding triggered seven excavation campaigns (1981-1987), followed by exploration of neighbouring habitats. The museum and its archeosite offer today a dive into the life of the Franks, between funeral rites, crafts and social organization.

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