Archaeologists in France have uncovered an ancient Roman complex beneath the town of Gémenos, near Marseille, revealing a settlement that thrived between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD.
Researchers from Inrap, France’s national archaeological institute, have been examining the site since 2013.
Previous excavations through 2023, conducted in areas adjacent to the current dig, had outlined the rough boundaries of the settlement, which was flanked by cultivated fields to the north, west, and south. The ongoing operation is now adding critical detail to that picture.
Ancient road splits the settlement into two distinct zones
A road running south to north sits at the centre of the excavated area and appears to have divided the settlement into two distinct zones. To the east, archaeologists found traces of ancient vineyards alongside dozens of circular pits, each about one metre wide.
The pits contain Roman artefacts, and some also hold medieval pottery, pointing to reoccupation of the site well after the Roman period ended.
The western side of the road held buildings. The bathhouse is among the most significant finds in this ancient Roman complex in France. Heated rooms with hypocaust systems, a Roman underfloor heating method using raised brick pillars to circulate hot air, were uncovered with their pillars still in place.
A furnace room was found in good condition, and a marble-lined pool belongs to the same structure. Paint fragments from abandonment layers indicate the walls were once decorated. Several additional rooms in the block are still being identified by researchers.
The scale of the bathhouse points to a specific function. It is too large for a private residence but too small for a public facility. Researchers believe it likely served travellers moving along the ancient road.
Ancient Roman complex in France yields bathhouse and workshop
A narrow alleyway separates the bathhouse block from a northern group of rooms tied to the wider settlement. Multiple hearths and scattered metal waste, including iron and bronze fragments, suggest a metallurgical workshop once operated in that area.
Two larger spaces further west, constructed with raw earth materials, also appear to have served craft-related purposes.
At the boundary between the built area and agricultural land, where vines and orchards once grew, archaeologists uncovered a small room with a tile-cement floor. A hearth or oven built from dolium fragments and terracotta bricks inside the room points to its use as a kitchen.
Fieldwork continues through early April, after which excavations will shift to the western section of the plot, an area that yielded ancient agrarian remains during preliminary surveys. The land will then be returned to the developer, followed by post-excavation analysis conducted by specialists at Inrap’s research centres.
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