Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques
MonumentHidden Treasure
Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques, located in Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a ancient remains built in Antiquity. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Antiquity
- Location
- Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.6811, 4.6237
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081188
In the heart of ancient Arles, this 362 m² site contains archaeological remains that have been protected since 1953, silent testimony to the Roman and early Christian splendours of ancient Arelate.
History
Nestled in the urban fabric of Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its ancient and Romanesque monuments, these archaeological remains are a precious fragment of the exceptional subsoil of ancient Arelate. Modest though its surface area may seem - 362.40 m² - this site contains stratigraphic layers that tell the story, stone by stone, of a city founded by the Greeks and magnified by the Romans. From the 1st century BC, Arles was one of the most prosperous cities in Roman Gaul. As a commercial crossroads on the Rhône, it saw the construction of thermal baths, theatres, amphitheatres and necropolises, of which the Alyscamps remains the most poignant symbol. In this context of heritage saturation of the subsoil, the smallest square metre can conceal mosaics, masonry structures, coins, signed ceramics or bones testifying to ancient burial rites. This protected site is fully in line with this emergency preservation approach. The scientific interest of the site lies in its potentially continuous stratigraphy: from Imperial Roman levels to medieval layers, via traces of Late Antiquity and the Palaeochristian period, each sedimentary horizon represents a chapter in the history of Arles. The remains, whether architectural or movable, enrich our overall understanding of ancient urban organisation. For the keen visitor, the site is more than just a landmark on a wider archaeological circuit. Arles offers a layered interpretation of the past: the amphitheatre, the ancient theatre, Constantine's baths and the Musée Départemental Arles Antique form an incomparable interpretative showcase. The protected area is a reminder that the entire city is an open-air museum, with the subsoil as its most faithful guardian.
Architecture
As an urban archaeological site, this site has no visible elevated architecture, but probably contains buried structures characteristic of ancient Arles town planning. It is reasonable to assume that the foundations are made of small-scale Roman stonework - opus incertum or opus vittatum - alternating local limestone rubble and layers of fired brick, a construction technique that was ubiquitous in Arelate's buildings from the 1st to 4th centuries. The stratigraphy of such an urban site in Arles is generally multi-functional: the lower levels may correspond to domus-type residential structures, with opus signinum floors or tesserae mosaics, while the upper levels bear witness to medieval occupations in lighter materials. The dominant materials are Crau limestone, local clay transformed into canal tiles and bricks, and hydraulic lime mortar, typical of Roman buildings in the region. The surface area of 362.40 m² corresponds approximately to the size of a Roman half-insulae, the basic unit of the Arelate urban grid, which suggests that the site could overlap the remains of one or more residential or craft modules from Antiquity. This dimensional coherence with the ancient cadastre reconstructed by the archaeologists reinforces the particular scientific interest of the site.
Related Figures
Jules César — fondateur de la colonie romaine d'Arelate en 46 av. J.-C.Constantin Ier — empereur qui fit d'Arles une capitale impériale au IVe siècleSaint Trophime — premier évêque légendaire d'Arles, figure de la christianisation de la citéFrédéric Mistral — poète provençal et défenseur du patrimoine arlésien, prix Nobel de littérature 1904Auguste Véran — archéologue arlésien du XIXe siècle pionnier des fouilles locales
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques located?
Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques is located in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques built?
Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques dates back to a period built during Antiquity.
Is Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques open to visitors?
Terrain de 362, 40 m2 contenant des vestiges archéologiques is currently closed to visitors.