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Origin and history

The remains of the Gallo-Roman Salaison plant at the Resto in Lanester (Morbihan) reveal an exceptional archaeological site dedicated to fish processing. Set up near a fishery on the banks of the Blavet, this plant produced salisons, condiments and probably garum, a condiment popular in ancient times. Four masonry tanks, including two watertight tanks covered with hydraulic mortar, and a preparation yard testify to his organization. Salt, essential for conservation, may have come from Bourgneuf Bay or the Mediterranean. Activity ceased at the end of the third century, before medieval reuse as temporary shelter.

The site, which was rediscovered in 1979 due to walls that bother tillage, was searched between 1980 and 1981 by archaeologist Patrick André. The remains, extending over 1,680 m2, include a rectangular building with a 13.6 m square courtyard and foothills off the slope towards the Blavet. Two tanks were used for liquid brine, while the others were used for fire drying, compensating for insufficient sunlight. An indefinite structure, located 200 m northeast, could be an adjacent habitat or workshop. Listed for historical monuments in 2000, the site is protected with a 30 m strip of land around the remains.

The plant exploited local fish (eels, salmon, sea trout) caught in the Blavet, prepared in the courtyard before salting. Its decline coincides with the upheavals of the late third century, although its exact role in regional trade remains partially known. The 1998 excavations did not bring new data about the factory itself, but informed its environment. This site illustrates the economic importance of fishery production in Gallo-Roman Armorica, linked to maritime and land trade.

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