OFFICIAL EXCAVATIONS

Dr Ernest Planson, a renowned paediatrician from Dijon, began working with a local archaeological group from Nuits-Saint-Georges in 1964, carrying out digs in the residential area. 1966 marked a significant step when historian Paul-Marie Duval visited the site, highlighting how important this seemingly modest temple actually was. At that point it was the only known mithraeum in central Gaul, a fact that encouraged the team of excavators to increase their efforts.

The search for the mithraeum began on October 4, 1967 with, for guidance, only the sketches and accounts of past excavators. The initial goal was to locate the steps which, once unearthed, would indicate the general layout of the site. Although several surveys were unsuccessful, they did result in the discovery of a pedestal for a statue and a bull’s hoof. The next step was to bring in a mechanical excavator to remove the top layer, revealing significant furnishings including ceramics, pottery and a dozen small bronzes. At this point, a grid pattern was marked out to identify where items had originally been.

This work, carried out at the same time as digs in the main site in autumn 1967 and spring 1968 on the spelaeum, continued until 1975 on the pronaos and annexes. The digs were legal, even if they took place “off season”. The team was made up of volunteers such as Dr Planson, Mrs Pommeret and Colonel Minot, a few students and some people from Nuits-Saint-Georges.