A Medieval log coffin discovered in the Gers

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

In advance of roadworks on Route Nationale 124, a medieval cemetery was excavated near the town of Marsan in the Gers department. A very well preserved coffin -a hollowed out log with lid -was discovered. It will be extracted in its entirety to ensure its conservation.

The circumstances of the operation

The enlargement of the RN 124 to 2x2 lanes, between Auch and Aubiet over approximately 8.5 km, required an archaeological evaluation, followed by an excavation in 2008 by Inrap. A cemetery dated to the late Middle Ages was discovered. More than 200 burials, whose size, orientation and superposition seem to indicate two different phases, were excavated. Several elements confirm that this site functioned as a cemetery over a long period. The poorly conserved remains of a habitat were also excavated, only a few waste pits, silos, ditches and postholes remaining.

Studying the dead to better understand the living

The organization of the bones in the graves shows how the individual was interred. The form of the grave and the position of the bones, resulting from how the body decomposed, allow us to reconstruct the burial. While most of the subjects were interred in containers, we observe some variability in the funerary practices. Objects in the graves here, usually vases, are rare.
Post-excavation analysis will enable us to characterise the subjects (age and sex of the adults, estimation of the age at death of the children), and provide information concerning their living conditions. The synthesis of this data will contribute to our knowledge of this medieval population.

An unexpected discovery

Numerous traces of wood were detected on the site, often allowing archaeologists to determine the presence and shape of a coffin. For one of the burials, the nearly permanent presence of water flowing from small springs contributed to the preservation of the coffin and its cover. This coffin stood out because it was made from a hollowed out log. One part was specifically carved to receive the head of the deceased. While awaiting a definitive dendrochronological date (through the study of the tree growth rings), the archaeologists estimate that this coffin is 700 and 1,000 years old.

Log coffins have already been found in the region, but were observed only very partially, or their presence was determined only through the position of the bones in a grave, the wood not being preserved. Given this situation, the coffin from Marsan is an exceptional discovery. Indeed it is proving difficult to place this find in the evolution of funerary practices in this region of France, as in others.

Extraction of the log coffin

Extracting the entire coffin from the site proved to be the best way to preserve it. The operation was conducted in two phases: removal of the cover, then the container after its excavation. Specialists from Inrap and the Materia Viva Laboratory of Toulouse assisted specialized technicians from the Art-Nucleart Laboratory of Grenoble. A wood and polystyrene casing was constructed to prevent the container from breaking during its extraction and transport.
Today the coffin is protected in the Art-Nucleart laboratory in anticipation of its study and possible treatment.

Developer

Direction de l'Equipement

Curation

Sylvie Bach (DRAC Midi-Pyrénées)

Site directors

Patrice Georges, avec la collaboration de Catherine Amiel, Sylvie Duchesne et Sacha Kacki.

Patrice Georges, Inrap

See the video (in french)

See images

General view of the site during excavation. The stepped removal of soil can be explained by the sloped configuration of the site and the permanent verifications made by the hydraulic diggers.

© O. Dayrens, Inrap
Manual cleaning of a burial. The differences in colour and texture of the sediments inside and outside the burial pit help to determine its limits.

© O. Dayrens, Inrap
Burial in the process of excavation. We can see organic remains (in gray) and major taphonomic anomalies (disturbed bones).

© P. Ernaux, Inrap
Preparation of the burial containing the log coffin. The coffin, preserved due to a permanently humid environment, was put back into water after each operation (3D recording, photographs, etc.).

© P. Ernaux, Inrap
Enveloping the log coffin in cellophane so that the wood will remain humid during the construction of the casing.

© P. Ernaux, Inrap