Villa gallo-romaine de Pataran

Villa gallo-romaine de Pataran

Between the tombstones, there lies a floor mosaic dating back to the High Empire. But it's not under the graveyard – it's within the enclosure.

In the Pataran cemetery, Aigues-Vives, France, there's a secret relic: a floor mosaic dating back to the High Empire. This archaeological site, Villa gallo-romaine de Pataran, is listed as a historic monument since May 18, 1973, and is part of a list of historical monuments in the Gard department. The archaeological remains at the site date from the High Empire, Late Empire, High Middle Ages, and Medieval periods. What makes this site stand out is not the fact that it was hidden, but that it was intended to be buried: it was hidden within the enclosure of the Pataran cemetery, which is unusual for a site of this age.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nicolo Ciampini

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