Roman Rheims, the tramway excavation

On line since September 15, 2009 · Updated September 15, 2009

The building of an 11 kilometre long tramway crossing Rheims, from north to south, has offered the opportunity to undertake a 4 kilometre long excavation in 2 hectares of the historic town centre. These excavations are of great significance for the understanding of the Gaulish, Gallo-Roman and Medieval town.

Major discoveries

During a sixteen month period, from July 2007 to November 2008, more than thirty archaeologists are working on different sections of the line, at depths varying from 50 cm to 5 metres. There are many difficulties such as a tight calendar, and simultaneous excavations often in dense traffic or in zones where service cables and pipes are still live. Ten months of excavation have already explored exceptionally rich areas such as the amphitheatre, the cardo maximus and the decumanus maximus, an arch as well as a major sewer. Research has already been carried out on levels dating from the Gauls, the Roman town and Early Christian and Medieval occupations. Even though the remains appear fairly near the surface, they are in an impressive state of conservation.

The Amphitheatre

An as yet unidentified building dating from the 1st century AD, in the Place Saint-Thomas, has been found. After it was abandoned it was replaced by an amphitheatre one of whose curvilinear walls delimits a platform, made up of different construction levels and make-up. This wall faces another, much wider, curvilinear wall, which seems to indicate the perimeter of the cavea, the section containing the tiers of the amphitheatre. The characteristics of these two wall sections make it possible to reconstruct the plan of the amphitheatre as well as its position in the town.

The Cardo maximus

The excavation of the Place de la République has revealed the existence of two phases in the life of the cardo, the north-south street from the early days of the Roman town. The first cardo seems to have been widened, to 30 m., when the Arch of Mars, still visible today, was built. On each side of the cardo, 1st to 5th centuries AD Gallo-Roman constructions have been found.

The excavators have also found a building, probably Early Christian, perhaps related to an oratory mentioned in the archives. There is also part of a medieval cemetery.

The Venus Gate

On Myron-Herrick square, the imposing remains of the foundations of a Roman arch and of a remarkable sewer have been found. The dimensions of the first are not dissimilar to those of the Arch of Mars. In fact, it is the Soissons Gate, which antiquaries and early modern historians called the Venus Gate. This gate marked the passage of the decumanus maximus, the east-west road of the Roman town. Beneath the arch is a 2nd or 3rd century AD vaulted sewer of imposing dimensions. The vault is 2.90 m. high and 1m wide.

A settlement and Gallo-Roman craftsmen's zone

Today, the site of the future road access to the railway station remains to be explored over a surface of 9,000m2. A Roman crossroads has already been found as have lodgings and workshops which respect the street grid.