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Gallo-Roman and Merovingian site of Escolives-Sainte-Camille dans l'Yonne

Patrimoine classé
Vestiges Gallo-romain
Site gallo-romain

Gallo-Roman and Merovingian site of Escolives-Sainte-Camille

    6-10 Rue du Creusot
    89290 Escolives-Sainte-Camille
Ownership of the municipality
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Site gallo-romain et mérovingien dEscolives-Sainte-Camille
Crédit photo : photography taken by Christophe.Finot - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Âge du Fer
Antiquité
Haut Moyen Âge
Moyen Âge central
Bas Moyen Âge
Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
0
100
200
1900
2000
Fin du Ier siècle av. J.-C.
Start of Gallo-Roman occupation
Ier siècle apr. J.-C.
Construction of thermal baths
1955
Incidental discovery of the site
1955-1983
Searches by Raymond Kapps
8 octobre 1992
Registration for Historic Monuments
6 août 2007
Transfer to the municipality
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Archaeological remains on land formerly owned by the State (see ZE 90; I 1010, 1011) : entry by order of 8 October 1992

Key figures

Raymond Kapps - Archaeologist Directed the excavations from 1955 to 1983.
Daniel Prost - Archaeologist The excavations continued from 1984 to 1989.
Pascale Laurent - Archaeologist Directed the excavations until 1999.
Aunaire - Bishop of Auxerre (594-605) Cita Escolives in the Bishops' Gestes.
Tétrice - Bishop of Auxerre (692) Mentionna *Scolivae vicus* in her writings.

Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman and Merovingian site of Escolives-Sainte-Camille, discovered in 1955, extends over 5 hectares in the department of Yonne. It was occupied from the late 1st century BC until the beginning of the 6th century, then reused as a Merovingian necropolis between the 6th and 8th centuries. The excavations, led successively by Raymond Kapps (1955-1983), Daniel Prost (1984-1989) and Pascale Laurent (until 1999), revealed a rich villa organized around a central courtyard, luxurious thermal baths with hypocauste, and vestiges of farming.

The site is located 10 km south of Auxerre, in the former Eduan territory. It was crossed by the Agrippa track, 200 metres from the thermal baths, suggesting a reception function for travellers. The thermal baths, built in the first century and enlarged in the fourth century, included carved decorations (mythological scenes, vintages, plant motifs) and a sophisticated heating system. A nearby source delivered organic objects (shoes, combs) dating from the third-fourth centuries.

The villa, the heart of the estate, included living rooms decorated with frescoes, including a 7-metre mural. In the east, a street lined with artisanal buildings and a wall of enclosure delineated the area of exploitation. Two four-god votive pillars, funeral steles (including one representing a woman in tunic) and altars attest to local religious practices. The Merovingian necropolis, located in the Gallo-Roman ruins, has 350 graves, of which 10% are sarcophagus.

Escolives, cited as Vicus Scoliva or Scolivae vicus between 594 and 692 in the Gestes des Évêques d'Auxerre, was one of the oldest parishes in Yonne. The site, registered as a historical monument in 1992, was transferred to the commune in 2007. Its exact origin and source of sculptures remain unknown to date.

The excavations also revealed traces of previous occupation: burials of Bronze Age, Gallic enclosures, and a possible neolithic camp spotted by aerial photography. The villa, probably linked to the local wine culture (a vintage decor identifies a plant of Caesar), illustrates the romanization of Gallo-Roman Burgundy. The thermal baths, with their private and public spaces, reflect a society that is hierarchical and open to trade.

The decorations of the thermal baths combine Roman influences (Apollon, griffons) and Gaulish (Cernunnos, Sphinge), testifying to cultural syncretism. The cornices, metopes and friezes decorated with acanthe rinsels or mythological scenes highlight the luxury of the site. The preserved organic objects (seeds, leather) offer a rare glimpse of everyday life in the third-fourth centuries.

External links