Musée d'archéologie Bargoin

Clermont-Ferrand, France

45 rue Ballainvilliers
63000 Clermont-Ferrand 
France
Tél. (33) 04.73.91.37.31
http://www.ville-clermont-ferrand.fr/uk/aimeruk/museuk/bargoin.asp 

The Collection

Iron Age: the bronze helmet from Martres de Veyre, or the Sarliève tomb containing iron and bronze jewellery.

But it is the Gallo-Roman period which has left us the greatest number of relics, whether religious monuments (such as the Temple of Mercury on the summit of the Puy-de-Dôme) or the unique finds of naturally preserved objects from Martres de Veyre (a woollen dress from the 2^nd century C.E., glassware, remains of foodstuffs, ceramics, etc.) or from sites such as the Source des Roches in Chamalières (see below). 

The Source des Roches ex-votos were discovered in 1968 in the foundations of a building under construction. The archaeological digs, during two salvage operations, uncovered the whole of the site, and several thousand carved wooden objects were retrieved from the mineral spring where they had been thrown by first century pilgrims coming to seek the assistance of the deity of the waters. 

There is also a remarkable collection of gold and bronze coins including a gold stater bearing the likeness of the Gaulish chieftain Vercingétorix.

Gold stater stamped with Vercingétorix's head

Author/editor

May 2005