Conference by Laurent Thomashausen and Jean-Denis Laffite

As part of the exhibition organized by the Departmental Salt Museum in Marsal on the "monetary treasure" of the archaeological site of Bassing, Inrap archaeologists will present in detail these exceptional discoveries for Saulnois and the entire region.

The Bassing site was excavated in 2010 by Inrap archaeologists prior to the construction of the second section of the Eastern European LGV. This research revealed a rich habitat inside a ditch enclosure dating from the end of the Gallic era, a few decades before the Roman conquest (late 2nd century BC). The exhumed furniture, exceptionally rich and varied, gives the site a special status, linked to the Gallic elite. It was only after the conquest that the monetary deposit was established and probably buried. The Gallic domain was gradually transformed by becoming Romanized until the construction of a large one villa surrounded by private and rustic courtyards. Like many village of the region, it was destroyed during the 4th century. and replaced by buildings made of wood and raw earth, the beginnings of the Merovingian and Carolingian occupations which developed to the north of the site over several hectares and probably constitute the ancient hamlet of "Nalving".