An archaeological treasure in the heart of the Massif Central

Archaeological excavations at the site of the discovery, in July 2021 • E. TRÉBUCHET / PRESS SERVICE

Jewels, weapons, vases, sharp tools... In total, hundreds of intact bronze objects have been found in the south of Allier after being buried for nearly 3,000 years. They represent one of the richest sites in Europe for the Bronze Age (2200 to 800 BC).

Voluntary burial

It was while excavating a fortified habitat located near the Sioule gorges, around Gannat, that archaeologists led by Pierre-Yves Milcent, lecturer at the University of Toulouse, found a pit containing vases of 30 cm in diameter filled with women's and children's jewelry (bracelets, rings, pendants), but also sickles, spearheads, knives, with axes arranged on top.

All these objects had been intentionally buried, and one of the hypotheses is that they are offerings, such as one finds in Greece at the same time:a ritual which would have taken place at the time of the foundation or the abandonment of the habitat, this cultural practice being known around the Mediterranean.

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The Massif Central was relatively rich in the Bronze Age thanks to livestock and agriculture, but also because it was on the commercial axis linking the Paris Basin to the Mediterranean. Some objects come from northern Italy, others from the Baltic or southern England, and testify to the extent of the exchanges. The habitats sometimes formed small agglomerations, and the presence of tin in the region, a metal used to make bronze, had allowed a significant metallurgical production.

It is very rare to find so many objects hoarded in their original context during an excavation, and, for the first time, scientists will be able to study a deposit as it was made 3,000 years ago. year. The remains will then be exhibited at the Anne-de-Beaujeu museum in Moulins.