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Résumé

Between 2015 and 2018, several programmed excavation campaigns were undertaken, as part of a research on the formation of the agglomeration, south of the Saint-Pierre de Moissac monastery. The significant stratigraphic power, the large quantity of structures and the very good preservation of organic materials due to the humid subsoil have made it possible to document the dynamics of a domestic occupation between the 12th and 19th centuries. If one of the main results of this research was to highlight that the development of the settlement is probably not prior to the second half of the 12th century, the data collected concerning the domestic occupation proved to be rich, with the discovery of a great variety of furniture in a discarded position, and the discovery of original structures, such as a large lever press built at the end of the 13th century.

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Notes de la rédaction

This article is a large abstract of the the french article « Une fenêtre archéologique sur l’agglomération de Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne) du xiie au xixe siècle », Archéologie médiévale [Online], 50, 2020, online on 15 February 2021. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/30342 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/archeomed.30342.

Texte intégral

  • 1 Lefebvre 2014.
  • 2 Ollivier 2016.

1Located on the banks of the Tarn, three kilometres upstream from its confluence with the Garonne, Moissac is located at the intersection of ancient communication routes. Despite the many ancient discoveries, and contrary to what some ancient authors mention, nothing suggests that an ancient settlement existed. The commune’s territory hosted, however, several villae, some of which have been partially excavated, such as those of Saint-Martin1 and Pignol-Bas2.

2If written records date the foundation of the abbey to the Early Middle Ages, no document mentions the monastic topography nor any peripheral settlement before the 11th century, when the abbey was attached to Cluny. It then experienced a certain prosperity, as the sculpture on its cloister and its gate indicates. In fact, historical or archaeological research conducted in Moissac have for a long time been centred on the abbey, and few works have been devoted to the monastic settlement, which nevertheless is mentioned in the written records from the 11th century onwards.

3To precisely study the formation of the medieval settlement around the abbey, several research excavation campaigns were undertaken between 2015 and 2018, inside a plot located at a hundred metres south of the Saint-Pierre Abbey (fig. 1). The excavation, carried out by the University of Toulouse-Jean Jaurès, has uncovered significant archaeological strata of a depth of more than 5 m, a considerable number of features and very well preserved artefacts, including organic materials, which is explained by the particularly humid subsoil. Confronted to the written records and the built elements, the recovered information allows us to document the dynamics of domestic occupation in a specific area of the town between the 12th and 19th century.

Fig. 1 Map of the archaeological investigations carried out in Moissac, and location of the excavation of the car park situated “Rue des Mazels”.

Fig. 1 Map of the archaeological investigations carried out in Moissac, and location of the excavation of the car park situated “Rue des Mazels”.
Agrandir Original (jpeg, 814k)

The first medieval settlements: an altered wetland

  • 3 Lagrèze-Fossat 1870-1874.
  • 4 Leigh et al. 2019.

4Although the hypothesis that Moissac was built on a wetland is an old one3, until now there was nothing to seriously support it. The clues gathered through core sampling and through various archaeological investigations carried out since 2015 now allow us to acknowledge the presence of a distal marsh along the Tarn river, prior to the development of the town. The observations also indicate that between the turn of the 11th century and the middle of the 12th century, the nature of the environment underwent changes as the marsh was progressively replaced by an increasingly anthropized wetland4. For this period, the data is however not specific enough to precisely determine the nature of the settlement, although several sets of features (floors, pits, etc.) and evidence of nearby domestics activities (materials, combustion residue, etc.) have been identified.

A rapid “urbanisation” and dense occupation between the 12th and 15th centuries

5This occupation was then sealed off by a significant 80 cm infilling, probably in order to reclaim the humid terrain, although it is not possible to identify whether these transformations were carried out locally or over a wider area. In any case, it is known that, from then on, the site was home to numerous wooden structures and more or less significant layers of waste, datable between the 12th and 13th centuries. In detail, however, it is clear that the occupation was not uniform: it was divided in two parts with, a probable building, perhaps a sheepfold to the south, and open, structured spaces (palisade – fig. 13 and fig. 15: STR317 -, posts) and perhaps a post in ground construction. It is possible, but not certain, that these two areas belonged to two distinct units (fig. 15).

Fig. 13 2017 campaign, sector 4, palisade STR 317, north view.

Fig. 13 2017 campaign, sector 4, palisade STR 317, north view.
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Fig. 15 Synthesis of the occupation at the end of the 12th century, after the massive northern infilling.

Fig. 15 Synthesis of the occupation at the end of the 12th century, after the massive northern infilling.
Agrandir Original (jpeg, 329k)
  • 5 Lefebvre to be published.

6The construction, at the 13th century, of a brick-built or brick-floor building is an important change in the southern sector (fig. 26). However, its use remains difficult to determine, despite the discovery of a wooden structure erected in a pit and, anecdotally, of a leather ball5. To the north, the major construction was a large lever winepress with a buried base whose wooden foundations are very well preserved (fig. 26 and fig. 29).

Fig. 26 Synthesis of the occupation at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century.

Fig. 26 Synthesis of the occupation at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century.
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Fig. 29 Detailed view of the winepress whose wooden bases are connected by a crossbeam, and built on reused wooden planks.

Fig. 29 Detailed view of the winepress whose wooden bases are connected by a crossbeam, and built on reused wooden planks.
Agrandir Original (jpeg, 1014k)
  • 6 Lefebvre 2020.

7It is possible to associate this powerful structure to significant levels containing vine remains, which allows us to affirm that for several years, or even decades, the site had a space dedicated to wine production6 (fig. 26). Despite the reuse of numerous wooden pieces, the twenty or so dendrochronological dates make it possible to attribute the remarkable structure (and rarely uncovered by archaeology) to the end of the 13th century or the beginning of the 14th century.

  • 7 Jeauffreau et Lefebvre to be published.

8No direct evidence of a domestic occupation - that is no structure related to habitat - was expressly discovered, neither inside nor outside of the building. On the other hand, the amount and the variety of artefacts uncovered during the excavation indicate the presence of domestic activity in the vicinity, as evidenced not only by various small objects of daily life (buckles, bells, méreaux– Fig. 18) but also combustion residue, culinary waste, building materials and animal remains. As for the presence of animals, it is attested by numerous indications, notably the discovery of a pit in which was buried a whole cow7, and which the excavation allowed us to find in an exceptional state of preservation.

9Some decades later, the winepress was destroyed and the limits of the northern plot were extended, then at the end of the Middle Ages, the facilities present in the two zones were destroyed and the occupation of the plots was largely reconstituted. Nevertheless, the pre-existing plot division was maintained and even reaffirmed by the construction, at the end of 14th century, of a considerable party wall, originating from the street (fig. 40: MUR303=604). In the absence of sources, the reasons that could explain these transformations are difficult to identify. It is nevertheless not impossible that the reorganisation underwent during the Hundred Years‘ War was one of the consequences: the economic difficulties and the decrease in the number of inhabitants certainly led to the abandonment of several houses, thus making it easier to carry out a real estate operation such as this one.

Fig. 18 Méreau (obj. 305) found in SU 3121.

Fig. 18 Méreau (obj. 305) found in SU 3121.
Agrandir Original (jpeg, 133k)

Fig. 40 Synthesis of the Early Modern occupation.

Fig. 40 Synthesis of the Early Modern occupation.
Agrandir Original (jpeg, 297k)

Early and Late modern houses

  • 8 Municipal Archives of Moissac, CC1 et CC5.

10Despite the fact that the excavated structures have been put into perspective with the written sources of the 15th and 16th centuries8, the organisation and the architecture of the first houses that were built against the party wall are poorly documented. The evidence however suggests, at least to the north, the presence of a house consisting of a main building with a corridor leading to a courtyard at the back of the plot. Associated to these houses, several brick latrine pits were nevertheless identified (fig. 40) ; one of these was even excavated, thus providing valuable information on the daily life of the houses’ inhabitants.

  • 9 Catalo 2002.

11The installation of such structures destined to the collection of domestic waste underlines the important changes in waste management within the plots, perhaps in connection with the densification of the district, according to the modalities observed in other towns of the region9. Whereas in the 13th century and again in the first half of the 14th century, waste seems to have been spread in open spaces, it is, at the end of 14th century, buried in a garbage pit that constitute “lost” facilities, then from the 15th-16th centuries, it was put in built structures that could be emptied and reused. During the 19th century, the houses were once again destroyed and replaced by others, until they were demolished in 2000 and a car park was built. Although these are recent buildings, they are of interest to archaeologists. For example, their study provides information on the construction methods used, such as piling foundations, which can be explained by the presence of subsoil still marked by a high level of humidity, seven centuries after the first fillings observed on the site, and in spite of a significant heightening.

12Although limited, the excavation provides original data on the history of the Moissac settlement and the daily life of its inhabitants. The data collected shows that the southern part of the abbey is not clearly occupied until the second half of the 12th century. Prior to this, it was a wetland, frequented and developed on an ancient distal marsh along the Tarn river, where the intensity and the nature of the activities still elude us. This conclusion implies a late development of the settlement, whereas the town appears in written sources as early as the 11th century. Where was this “town” located ? To the north, on the hillside, in a less humid area? Or did it extend from east to west, around the abbey, along the foot of the hillside? At present nothing enlightens us on the timeline and installation patterns of the first civil settlements around the abbey. Nevertheless, the fact that a wetland is located in front of the abbey does not necessarily mean that there was no more or less agglomerated domestic occupation, since facilities and even plots division have been identified in these waterlogged areas.

13The scale of the major development of the site in the second half of the 12th century remains to be defined and this question constitutes a privileged line of research for future investigations. A contextual setting is also necessary: the second half of the 12th century was a prosperous period for the region, with the creation of many new towns. Was the development of Moissac part of this general movement or more in line with that of the abbey which, after its attachment to Cluny in the 11th century, experienced a period of prosperity? After the 12th century, the questions raised by the excavation relate more to intra-plot occupation than that of the town. However, the periods of upheaval deserve to be examined closely, without ruling out the impact that certain “crises” had on the urban fabric such as the first phase of the Hundred Years’ War. This is another venue to explore, which relates more generally to the identification and interpretation of the rhythms and reorganisation of plots. Local comparisons are lacking and modest operations carried out are not yet sufficient for the study or the urban fabric. This is why new operations have already been undertaken, and others are being studied from 2021.

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Bibliographie

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Notes

1 Lefebvre 2014.

2 Ollivier 2016.

3 Lagrèze-Fossat 1870-1874.

4 Leigh et al. 2019.

5 Lefebvre to be published.

6 Lefebvre 2020.

7 Jeauffreau et Lefebvre to be published.

8 Municipal Archives of Moissac, CC1 et CC5.

9 Catalo 2002.

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Table des illustrations

Titre Fig. 1 Map of the archaeological investigations carried out in Moissac, and location of the excavation of the car park situated “Rue des Mazels”.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/docannexe/image/41874/img-1.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 814k
Titre Fig. 13 2017 campaign, sector 4, palisade STR 317, north view.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/docannexe/image/41874/img-2.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 918k
Titre Fig. 15 Synthesis of the occupation at the end of the 12th century, after the massive northern infilling.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/docannexe/image/41874/img-3.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 329k
Titre Fig. 26 Synthesis of the occupation at the end of the 13th century or at the beginning of the 14th century.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/docannexe/image/41874/img-4.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 283k
Titre Fig. 29 Detailed view of the winepress whose wooden bases are connected by a crossbeam, and built on reused wooden planks.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/docannexe/image/41874/img-5.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 1014k
Titre Fig. 18 Méreau (obj. 305) found in SU 3121.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/docannexe/image/41874/img-6.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 133k
Titre Fig. 40 Synthesis of the Early Modern occupation.
URL http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/docannexe/image/41874/img-7.jpg
Fichier image/jpeg, 297k
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Référence électronique

Bastien Lefebvre, « An archaeological window into the town of Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne) from the 12th to the 19th century [abridged version] », Archéologie médiévale [En ligne], 50 | 2020, mis en ligne le 22 juin 2021, consulté le 07 octobre 2024. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/archeomed/41874 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/archeomed.41874

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Auteur

Bastien Lefebvre

Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès, UMR 5608 TRACES - équipe Terrae

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Leila Tickner

Technical traductor

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