8 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists Uncover Large Roman-Era Complex Beneath Modern Melun

Archaeologists have uncovered significant remnants of the ancient Roman city of Metlosedum, now modern-day Melun, in a recent excavation revealing the urban sophistication and strategic importance of the site in the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis.

Located approximately 40 kilometers southeast of Paris, Melun was a key settlement in Roman Gaul, sitting at the confluence of land and river trade routes between the Brie and Gâtinais plateaus. The site, situated within the territory of the Senones tribe—whose capital was in present-day Sens—held strategic value at the northwestern edge of their civitas, bordering other notable tribes like the Meldes, Parisii, and Carnutes.

Discoveries of Roman-Era Architecture

The excavation, led by the Service municipal de l’archéologie, SDASM, and Inrap, focuses on a 3,500 m² urban plot. It lies at the intersection of two major Roman roads: an east-west decumanus (beneath today’s rue de Belle Ombre) and a north-south cardo (aligned with rue de Dammarie). These thoroughfares outline the ancient street grid of Melun, confirming the city’s organized urban fabric.

Drone view of a cellar that was part of the building, preserved to a depth of 2.20 meters. Credit: Hamid AZMOUN, Inrap
Drone view of a cellar that was part of the building, preserved to a depth of 2.20 meters. Credit: Hamid AZMOUN, Inrap

Two principal building sectors have been unearthed. To the west, archaeologists discovered a large rectangular Roman domus covering over 700 m². Despite partial dismantling in antiquity, several foundation segments made of stone bonded with lime mortar remain, outlining a complex with multiple rooms surrounding a central courtyard.

One highlight is a well-preserved cellar at the northwestern end of the building. Reaching a depth of 2.2 meters, the cellar boasts lime mortar walls, a ventilation shaft, and built-in niches, accessed via a three-flight staircase. A reused Roman column fragment was found embedded in the structure, a testament to adaptive reuse in Roman architecture.

Domestic Spaces and Urban Life

Roughly 40 meters east, a second building complex of around 600 m² has been partially exposed. Though heavily disturbed by modern utility works, it includes an excavated room, remnants of a possible kitchen area—such as a combustion structure built with tegulae (Roman roof tiles) and ceramic water conduits—suggesting daily domestic activities.

Cellar preserved to a depth of 2.20 meters, accessible via a dogleg staircase with three flights of steps and two landings. A small smooth column drum with a mortise on both its top and bottom surfaces was found on the first landing. Credit: Hamid AZMOUN, Inrap
Cellar preserved to a depth of 2.20 meters, accessible via a dogleg staircase with three flights of steps and two landings. A small smooth column drum with a mortise on both its top and bottom surfaces was found on the first landing. Credit: Hamid AZMOUN, Inrap

Between these zones lie open spaces containing storage pits, small unlined cellars, and eight ancient wells, built with unshaped limestone blocks. These features illustrate the integration of residential and service functions within the Roman cityscape, although no clear evidence of artisanal or industrial activity has yet been found.

Due to the incomplete nature of the remains, it is still unclear whether the western and eastern structures were two separate residences or parts of a single, expansive complex exceeding 2,000 m²—an unusually large footprint for Roman domestic architecture in the region.

Modern History Interwoven with the Ancient Past

In a striking juxtaposition, archaeologists also discovered zigzagging World War II air raid trenches, part of a defensive installation built in a schoolyard to shelter civilians from aerial attacks. A French Adrian helmet (1926 model) was among the artifacts recovered from these features, highlighting Melun’s layered historical narrative.

Inrap

Cover Image Credit: Drone view of the Melun (Metlosedum) excavation. Hamid AZMOUN, Inrap

Related Articles

Marble inlay floors found in a Sunken Roman villa in Baia, the Las Vegas of the ancient world

9 April 2023

9 April 2023

Expansion of research activities in the Terme del Lacus area in the sunken Baia park, known as the ‘Las Vegas’...

Archaeologists unearth mosaic floors in the ruins of a building they believe is the lost Church of the Apostles

23 October 2021

23 October 2021

In the historical village of Bethsaida on the edge of the Sea of Galilee, archaeologists discovered mosaic floors in the...

An architectural gem from the medieval monastery of Posa, Germany

26 July 2023

26 July 2023

Archaeological excavations have been taking place on the Posaer Berg (Posa Hill) near Zeitz (Burgenland) every year since 2017. They...

Southwest Germany’s Oldest Gold Artifact Found

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Archaeologists discovered the 3,800-year-old burial of a woman who died when she was around 20 years old in what is...

World’s Oldest Architectural House Model from 12,000-Year-Old Çayönü Hill Now on Display in Türkiye

6 July 2025

6 July 2025

Unearthed at the 12,000-year-old Çayönü Hill, the world’s oldest architectural house model is now on display at the Diyarbakır Museum,...

Unique Lion-Headed Handles Unveiled from a Roman-Period Cist Tomb Near Khirbat Ibreika

30 April 2025

30 April 2025

Beneath the ancient dust of Khirbat Ibreika in southern Israel, archaeologists have unearthed an unexpected enigma: four bronze discs, each...

Teacher unearthed stone with ancient ogham writing from Ireland in Coventry garden

9 May 2024

9 May 2024

A geography teacher, Graham Senior, stumbled across a rock with mysterious incisions while tidying his overgrown garden in Coventry, England. ...

Flint tools found in Tunel Wielki Cave, Poland, about half a million years old

9 October 2022

9 October 2022

Flint tools discovered over 50 years ago in the Tunel Wielki Cave (Maopolskie region) are not tens of thousands of...

Ancient eggshell in the Northern Cape hiding 300,000 years of history

12 July 2021

12 July 2021

Evidence from an ancient eggshell has revealed important new information about the extreme climate change faced by human early ancestors....

The Ancestors of Today’s Barbie Dolls “Coptic dolls”

23 September 2023

23 September 2023

For as long as there has been civilization, children have played with dolls. Wooden dolls with bead hair have been...

Archaeologists find new clues about North Carolina’s ‘Lost Colony’ from the 16th century

11 May 2024

11 May 2024

Archaeologists from The First Colony Foundation have yielded a tantalizing clue about the fate of the Lost Colony, the settlers...

Ancient Roman Soldier’s Wrist Purse: A Unique Find in Former Enemy Territory

24 June 2025

24 June 2025

Archaeologists in South Moravia have unearthed a remarkable and historically significant artifact: a bronze fragment of a Roman soldier’s wrist...

Scientists Use Artificial İntelligence to Study Ancient Australian Rock Art

1 April 2021

1 April 2021

Rock art is the oldest surviving human art form. Throughout Australia, petroglyphs are part of the life and customs of...

Archaeologists uncovered a ‘golden tomb’ during excavations in Armenia

26 March 2023

26 March 2023

A team of archaeologists made up of Polish and Armenian scientists has discovered a “golden tomb” containing two skeletons in...

4,000-Year-Old Dilmun Temple Discovered on Failaka Island, Kuwait

12 November 2024

12 November 2024

A joint Danish-Kuwaiti excavation team led by the Mosgard Museum has uncovered a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age temple linked to the...