The mysterious ruins of the small ghost hamlet of Saint-Quentin, in Chaspinhac, are gradually revealed. The results of the latest archaeological excavations suggest a very ancient occupation and an important place. Explanations.
Remember. Last August, around twenty volunteers, archeology students and locals, supervised by two professional archaeologists from the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (Drac), launched an impressive excavation campaign lasting a week on the Saint-Quentin site, in Chaspinhac. The objective was to unearth the old chapel of this village abandoned for several decades.
Last Saturday, the two archaeologists, Brunilda Bregu and Laurent Fiocchi, presented the first results of the investigations at the Chaspinhac town hall. One thing is now certain: this small hamlet cut off from the world and surrounded by numerous legends had its hour of glory in ancient times.
premium They unearth an ancient 1,000-year-old church in an abandoned village in Haute-Loire
“Thanks to the valuable help of volunteers, we were able to uncover a very old church measuring 16 meters long and 4 meters wide. At least three states of construction from different periods have been noted. We have put resources into this site, not to mention the location which dominates the Loire valley, opposite the Polignac fortress,” assures Laurent Fiocchi. After a week of intense excavations, several remains were discovered.
Paving, marble column, cut stones, ceramics, pieces of stained glass, painted coatings, rosary beads and other antique elements have notably been updated. Although these finds may seem slim to treasure hunters, this site nevertheless seems to be very important for archeology professionals, not to mention the preservation of local heritage. While the site of Saint-Quentin is mentioned, in ancient texts from 1027, as a dependency of the abbey of Tournus (the site then houses a church and a castle destroyed during the Revolution), everything suggests that the history places would be well before the 11th century.
An occupation from the 6th century?
“An occupation of the Saint-Quentin site from the 6th century would not be surprising. The configuration of the premises is typical of constructions from that period. In any case, a building that is rebuilt several times necessarily testifies to its importance and a certain demography around the site,” recalls the archaeologist. And he does not intend to stop there since a new request for excavations will be submitted at the end of the year. The objective is to continue to take down stone by stone in the demolition. A georadar prospecting technique could be considered.
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Christophe Coffy
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