Metro in Toulouse. In this large station on line C, here is what archaeologists discovered

Since June 17, 2024, archaeologists from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have made this future major station of the metro line C their new playground at Toulouse.

An excavation site has been set up “in the box” of this station which will be connected to line B. More than two months later, the specialists, who will dig to a depth of around six metres, have brought to light some discoveries.

At the exit of the Roman city

“We are here on one of the three exits from the Roman city [au bord d’un rempart médiéval qui reprend le tracé de l’enceinte romaine, NDLR]”We had found a traffic axis during the excavations carried out during the work on line B in 2002,” explains Laurent Grimbertarchaeologist responsible for the site.

If these latest excavations had allowed the discovery a large burial area rich in around fifty burials, the archaeologists have, this time, found very few.

Instead, interesting buried masonry for centuries have been brought to light, including traces of a 15th-16th century aqueduct “which was supposed to look like a device with arches.”

Another discovery on the site, “a ceramic oven almost unique in Toulouse” still under study.

A surprisingly well-preserved bowl

Archaeologists have also found traces d’habitationswith “a lot of pits which were used for kitchen waste, latrines… ».

Fragments of a cornice of a public buildingdating from the 5th century, were found, as well as a bowl “with a floral decoration characteristic of the same period” which was surprisingly well preserved.

What could it be used for? As a decorative element? For food? It will be up to experts to say.

Eventually, it could find its place in a Toulouse museum. And as for the other major operation organized a few steps away, at the intersection of rue Saint-Jacques and rue Saint-Anne, these excavations will have to stop to make way for other work. The archaeologists’ playground will then be destroyed. This is why the team carefully records the discoveries, photographs and extracts what can be analyzed, then potentially exhibited to the public in a duty of transmission.

Another search area planned

Furthermore, thanks to the spectacular relocation of the Monument to the Glory of the Combatants of Haute-Garonne a year ago, specialists can also closely observe its foundations dating from the 1930s. Simple concrete blocks in the end.

On Friday, August 23, the team completed the “stripping” operations to move on to the phase of more detailed excavations. It will remain on site until the end of December.

Another excavation area is planned, this time on the side of the future entrance to the metro station. A new exploration site that should allow the discovery, this time, of graves… and probably even more treasures from History!

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to My News.