PARIS.- A team from INRAP is currently excavating some astonishing pits filled with horses remains in Villedieu-sur-Indre, at the request of the French government (French Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs of Centre-Val de Loire, or DRAC) prior to the construction of a bypass.

This 1.3-hectare excavation, on the slope of a valley, revealed a site dating back to the late 5th and early 6th centuries. A number of buildings, pits, ditches, and even a road dating from the early Middle Ages were uncovered. In addition to signs of medieval occupation, nine pits containing horse bones have been discovered. These have been radiocarbon-dated back to the end of the Gaul era and the early Roman Gaul era (100 BCE to 100 CE).

Rows upon rows of horses

As of yet, only two pits have been fully excavated. The first contains 10 complete sets of horse remains. Lying on their right side with their heads facing south, they were carefully placed in the pit and arranged into two layers of two rows. The position of the carcasses and the connections between the bones show that they were buried at the same time, very soon after their death. Zooarchaeological observations reveal that these were small horses, measuring roughly 1.20m at the withers, typical of the Gallic subspecies. They were all fully-grown stallions of over four years old. The second, smaller pit contained only two individuals, identical to the first.

Between these two, another pit contained two medium-sized adult dogs, at least one of which was male. Lying on their left side with their heads facing west, they were also carefully laid to rest.

While the excavation of the other structures is underway, skulls and coxal bones are already appearing on the surface, and 28 horses have been identified to date.

The result of epidemics, battles, or sacrifices?

An epidemic or epizootic episode affecting the herd can be ruled out, as there are no foals nor mares among the current findings. However, the cause of death – whether accidental or deliberate – has not yet been determined.

These spectacularly staged horse burials are reminiscent of the exceptional finds made by INRAP at two Gallic sites on the Gergovie plateau in Auvergne – Gondole and L'Enfer. In Gondole, one of the pits contained eight horses and their riders, while 53 horses were found in L'Enfer across five pits. In both Villedieu- sur-Indre and the sites on the Gergovie plateau, the horse pits contained no other archaeological material and were not associated with any other structures.

Moreover, all three sites are located just a few hundred metres from an oppidum (Gergovie, Gondole, and Camp de César). The geographical location of the Gergovie oppidum and the presence of a large number of mature male horses dating back to the end of pre-Roman Gaul make for an intriguing connection between the burial of these horses and the battles of the Gallic Wars. This hypothesis is equally valid for the site in Villedieu-sur-Indre. The discovery of

Roman slingshot balls at the Camp de César oppidum bears witness to a confrontation long-forgotten by history, in Bituriges Cubi territory, which may have taken place before the famous siege of Avaricum, near Bourges.

The hypothesis that these animals were sacrificed as part of a complex ritual, of which only a few scraps remain, must also be considered. The number of horses in question represents a massive fraction of the total herd. This heavy investment shows the importance and extent of the sacrifice.

In Gondole, both horsemen and horses buried at the foot of the oppidum could represent voluntary sacrifices by soldures, or vassals, sworn to take their own lives should a violent fate befell their ruler or fellows (Caesar: De Bello Gallico III, 22, 1-335).
The discoveries in Villedieu-sur-Indre now complement those made two decades ago in Auvergne, and are leading us to reconsider the religious and funerary practices of the late Iron Age and early Roman period.