Following a chance discovery, an archaeological assessment was conducted at 1 rue de la Courtine in the centre of Limoges on a site known to have been the site of the church of Sainte-Marie-de-la-Courtine, attached to the abbey of Saint-Martial who was nearby. The discovered elements led to the prescription by the DRAC of an archeological excavation carried out by the design office Éveha from 9 May to 24 August 2012.
The latest proposals for restitution ofAugustoritum seem to indicate that the site was within the city of the Upper Empire. During the Lower Empire, in this part of the city that had become suburban, a necropolis was established. Within this necropolis, a mausoleum sheltered, probably from the Ve century, a cult to Saint Martial, the first bishop of Limoges died a century earlier. This mausoleum, now preserved in an archaeological crypt, is located less than 70 m from the site concerned by the archaeological excavation. At this tomb, a religious centre was built, which became an abbey in 848. Around this abbey, developed the second city, «the Castle», distinct from «the City» established around the cathedral.
Various ancient remains were unearthed on the site during the 2012 excavation campaign. Elements related to urban development (wells, aqueducts, roads) were discovered. Remains of two states of a habitat of the Upper Empire were also uncovered. The installation of a mausoleum and three burials in a deep pit marks the abandonment of the residential character of the site. The building is remarkable for its layout. The central part of the mausoleum was in fact made up of a podium built of large cut stone device preserved on nearly two meters high. Above all, it had three apses, probably giving it a trefoil plan to the west.
The remains are now kept in the basement of a building and will eventually be made accessible to visitors.
Statutory searches 1 rue de la Courtine Limoges (87) du 9 May to 24 August 2012 :
Client: State, DRAC Limousin
Operation management: Xavier Lhermite (Éveha)
SFA scientific monitoring: Martine Fabioux
Éveha scientific follow-up: Guillaume Demeure
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