Galerie Muséale INRAP

In Trémuson, history is watching you!

What were human burial practices like in late prehistoric times? Why did the Gauls dig underground? How can a Breton manor house disappear from the collective memory? These are just some of the questions that the In Trémuson, history is watching you! exhibition aims to answer.
⏵ Adapted as a digital version, it echoes the exhibition presented between September 21 and December 1, 2024 at the Graine de Culture media library in Trémuson (22).

Illustration : découverte du buste d'aristocrate

In Trémuson, history is watching you!

Over the past twenty years, twelve Inrap archaeological campaigns have been carried out in the commune of Trémuson. They bear witness to a rich past, from the Neolithic to the Modern Age. This is hardly surprising: its low relief, dense hydrographic network and the nearby presence of the Gouët valley, its fertile land linking land and sea, offer ideal conditions.

Illustration : localisation des opérations archéologiques sur le territoire de la vallée du Gouet (source RGE ALTI®, IGN)

First traces of occupation

As for the ancient periods, the most remarkable remains date from the Bronze Age (IIIᵉ and IIᵉ millennia BC). Silo pits testify to a settlement, while four tumuli (one of which has been excavated) constitute a remarkable burial space. During this period, cremation gradually replaced burial.

Illustration : évocation des anciens tumuli de Trémuson

Tableware... 6000 years old!

Terracotta vases are among the most important remains for archaeologists of all eras. They enable us to date an occupation and characterize its status. A small batch of ceramics dating from the Middle Neolithic (4600-4200 BC) has been discovered at Trémuson. It consists of finely decorated earthenware and utilitarian vases.

Illustration (left) : tesssons de céramiques et leur restitution, Néolithique moyen, Le Coin des Petits Clos (2016)

Illustration (right) : décor de boutons au repoussé, Néolithique moyen, Le Coin des Petits Clos (2016)

Bronze Age ritual markers

Voluntary deposits of large ceramic fragments were observed during the excavation of Bronze Age silo pits. Among the identifiable elements are a lid and a truncated cone-shaped vase, rarely attested in the region, but common in Central Europe.

Illustration (left) : fragment de vase tronconique, âge du Bronze ancien, La Colignère Tranche n°2 (2016)

Illustration (right) : fragment de couvercle, âge du Bronze ancien, La Colignère Tranche n°2 (2016)

Ceramics adorned in red

Some of the ceramics deposited in the'Bronze Age silo pits stand out for their meticulous finish: smoothed surface and red slip. These vases are good chronological markers, as they were in use at the turn of the IIIᵉ and IIᵉ millennia.

Illustration : détails de céramiques à engobe rouge, âge du Bronze ancien, La Colignère Tranche n°2 (2016)

Reusing old tools

What could be more natural than recovering ancient tools that may still be of use? During the excavation of theMiddle Bronze Age tumulus, stone tools (polished axes) dating back to the Neolithic were found. The use of lithic tools did not disappear in the Metal Age, and some were used by metallurgical craftsmen.

Illustration : marteau de métallurgiste en dolérite et lissoir en schiste, Néolithique/âge du Bronze, La Morandais (2001)

Gallic farm basements

During the Gallic period in Armorica, foodstuffs could be stored in temperate underground facilities, sheltered from the light. Excavation of the Gallic farmhouse of "La Ville Hamonet", occupied between the Vᵉ and IIIᵉ centuries BC, has led to the discovery of two underground passages and a cellar.

Illustration : principe de fonctionnement d’un souterrain gaulois (d’après Stanislas Bossard)

Atypical garbage cans

When the underground passageways of the Gallic farmhouse of "La Ville Hamonet" were abandoned, they were gradually filled in with the rubbish of the local inhabitants. Among the remains are numerous fragments of ceramics, providing an opportunity to study the variety of forms and uses.

Illustration : lot de céramiques laténiennes, 2e âge du Fer, La Ville Hamonet (2021)

Vases for every purpose

The ceramics discovered at the Bronze and Iron sites in Trémuson correspond to a wide variety of forms for all everyday uses. Vases, some with a lustrous or graphitized surface, are adorned with stamped or incised motifs. It is even possible that some of these decorations may correspond to a form of writing (illustration bottom right), a fact unheard of in the region.

Illustration : sélection de céramiques décorées, âge du Fer, La Ville Hamonet (2020-2021)s

Daily weaving

Weaving looms leave few archaeological remains, as they are mainly made of perishable materials (wood, cordage). Weights are the main evidence of this activity. They are weights used to tension the weft of the loom threads.

Illustration (left) : peson en terre cuite, âge du Fer, La Ville Hamonet (2021)

Illustration (right) : restitution d’un métier à tisser (d’après Tristan Girard)

Grist for the mill

Until the Gallic period, flour was made by crushing cereals using a reciprocating millstone, between a large standing stone and a smaller, hand-operated wheel. However, the excavation of the Gallic farm "La Ville Hamonet" unearthed one of the earliest examples of a rotary millstone in western Gaul. The cohabitation of these two techniques shows the transition between different types of mill.

Illustration (left) : fragment de molette, âge du Fer, La Ville Hamonet (2021), usage d’une meule va-et-vient du Néolithique

Illustration (right) : fragment de meule rotative, âge du Fer, La Ville Hamonet (2020), usage d’une meule rotative

At the bottom of the well

At the locality of la Morandais, the remains of a Gallic aristocratic settlement, occupied from the IIIᵉ century BC to the 1st century AD have been discovered. Excavation of its well revealed remarkable furnishings: objects of special status linked to the rites or beliefs of the local inhabitants were carefully buried there, not discarded. They wouldn't have fared so well in a six-metre fall!

Illustration : vue du puits de la Morandais

Archaism on some well vases

Two fragmentary ceramics were found at the bottom of this well. Each has a morphology that is rather rare in Brittany. Above all, they display archaic characteristics, dating from the Middle Stone Age, i.e. two centuries before the context of the well bottom!

Illustration : céramiques du fond du puits, âge du Fer, La Morandais (2019)

An environment conducive to conservation

The water table in the Morandais well remained constant for several millennia, facilitating the preservation of objects made of perishable or fragile materials. Among these were: an iron serpette with a partially preserved wooden handle, a handcrafted wooden mallet, as well as a portion of turned wood from a piece of furniture, underlining the care given to the living environment.

Illustration : maillet, serpette et montant de meuble, âge du Fer, La Morandais (2019)

The tripod bucket from Trémuson

The tripod bucket found at the bottom of the well is a remarkable piece. Small in size (17 cm high, 16.5 to 18.5 cm in diameter), it is made of yew wood with copper alloy decoration. It is one of a series of vessels well known in Europe, often used for ceremonies or banquets. In this case, however, the use of yew wood, considered toxic, suggests that it may have had another function.

Illustration : seau tripode en bois d’if, âge du Fer, La Morandais (2019)

Portrait gallery

Among the most unusual objects to be found in the Morandais pit were three small stone busts, with only the facial features suggested. And within the main building, a pit housed a fourth bust of larger dimensions and more elaborate workmanship (face, hair, facial hair, torque around the neck). No doubt they belonged to a gallery of ancestors, one of whom might have had a special status.

Illustration : bustes en stéatite, âge du Fer, La Morandais (2019)

A forgotten manor

The discovery of the foundations of a medieval manor house in the Morandais area was a real surprise. The documentary study showed that it was the seat of a small seigneury that lasted from the XIVᵉ to XVIᵉ century, having belonged to the de Couvran family. With no direct heirs, the manor became the property of the Norman branch of the family. With no interest in the property, the manor fell into ruin and oblivion;

Illustration : restitution du manoir de la Morandais

The kitchen of the XVIᵉ century

The last occupations of the Morandais manor house (XVIᵉ c.) yielded some interesting relics of daily life. Among them, kitchen ceramics. A cooking pot, probably produced in a workshop in Lamballe (Côtes-d'Armor), was used for cooking, standing on a tripod in a fireplace; a butter pot, came from workshops in Lower Normandy, indicating trade.

Illustration : pot à cuire et pot à beurre, XVIᵉ siècle, Rues de la Morandais et de la Colignère (2022)

Clothing accessories

Excavation of the manor house has brought to light metal items used to lace or hold a garment, or to fix a headdress... These objects can take a variety of forms: buckles, rings, pins, and so on.

Illustration : boucle en D, anneaux et épingle, XIIIᵉ-XVIᵉ siècles, La Colignère tranche 2 (2018

Jet object

Objects made of jet (fossilized wood), like the one found at Trémuson, are not that common. Decorated with precise workmanship, its use remains an enigma. At the time, it was often associated with rosaries or mourning ornaments, but the absence of perforation rules out the possibility of a bead. Its black color might suggest a decorative element for a casket.

Illustration : objet en jais d'époque Moderne, La Colignère tranche 2 (2018),

Italian taste

The end of the XVᵉ century marks the beginning of the Renaissance in France and the arrival of Italian artists or craftsmen. Objects discovered during the Trémuson excavations bear witness to these new influences: a white enamelled glass and a finely draped female statuette, of which traces of polychromy remain.

Illustration (left) : statuette féminine, XVᵉ-XVIᵉ siècles, La Colignère tranche 2 (2018)

Illustration (right) : gobelet en verre, XVᵉ-XVIᵉ siècles, rues de la Morandais et de la Colignère (2022)

Thanks

This digital exhibition was created by Yoann Clarey as part of his Master 2 MAGEMI studies (Rennes 2 University). This internship was carried out at the Inrap Grand-Ouest inter-regional directorate within the archaeological collections management division of the Brittany region.

The online exhibition is complementary to the exhibition:
A Trémuson, l'histoire vous regarde!
⏵presented at the Graine de culture media library in Trémuson from September 21 to December 1, 2024.

Acknowledgements

Developers :
- Commune de Trémuson
- Saint-Brieuc Armor Agglomération
- SCI TREMU
- Private owners

Scientific description and control :
- DRAC Bretagne - service régional de l'Archéologie

Accompaniment :
⁃ Stéphanie Hurtin, archaeological collections manager, Brittany region
⁃ Christelle Stagnol, cultural development and communication officer
⁃ Laurent Pelletier, scientific and technical direction, archaeological collections management officer, Inrap Galerie Muséale project manager

Inrap archaeological research managers :
⁃ Claire Baillieu
⁃ Laurent Beuchet
⁃ Stéphane Blanchet
⁃ Stéphane Bourne
⁃ Eddie Roy

Inrap scientific referents:
⁃ Vérane Brisotto, lithicist
⁃ Anne-Françoise Cherel, ceramologist
⁃ Emmanuelle Coffineau, ceramologist
⁃ Richard Delage, ceramologist
⁃ David Gâche, archaeologist
⁃ Emilie Godet -Merveilleux, archaeologist
⁃ Véronique Guitton, xylologist
⁃ Françoise Labaune-Jean, ceramologist
⁃ Océane Lierville, ceramologist
⁃ Théophane Nicolas, ceramologist

Inrap illustrations:
⁃ Stéphane Bourne
⁃ Vérane Brisotto
⁃ Emmanuelle Collado
⁃ David Gâche
⁃ Stéphane Jean
⁃ Joseph Le Gall
⁃ Théophane Nicolas
⁃ Marie Millet
⁃ Patrick Pihuit
⁃ Cellule d'intervention sur les structures archéologiques profondes Inrap (CISAP)

Laboratories:
⁃ Arc'Antique
⁃ AntePostQuem
⁃ Cellule conservation Inrap
⁃ IpsoFacto

For more information:
► 2020 : Baillieu Claire, Trémuson (22). La Ville Hamonet (plots B.2676, 2677 and 2679). Diagnostic report, Inrap Grand-Ouest, Cesson-Sévigné, 2020.

► 2023: Baillieu Claire, Trémuson (22). La Ville Hamonet : une ferme gauloise des Vee et IVe c avant notre ère. Rapport de fouille, Inrap Grand-Ouest, Cesson-Sévigné, 2023.

► 2020 : Beuchet Laurent, Trémuson (22). La Colignère (tranche 2). L'occupation du plateau de Trémuson, de l'âge du Bronze au manoir de la Morandais. Rapport de fouille, Inrap Grand-Ouest, Cesson-Sévigné, 2020.

► Blanchet 2002 : Blanchet Stéphane, Trémuson (22), La Morandais. document final de synthèse de fouille préventive, Inrap Grand-Ouest, Cesson-Sévigné, 2002 .

► Blanchet 2017 : Blanchet Stéphane, Trémuson (22). La Colignère - tranche 2 : Silos du Bronze ancien et manoir du XVe siècle. Rapport de diagnostic, Inrap Grand-Ouest, Cesson-Sévigné, 2017.

► Bourne 2022 : Bourne Stéphane, Trémuson (22). La Morandais : au cœur d'une résidence aristocratique de La Tène finale. Rapport de fouille, Inrap Grand-Ouest, Cesson-Sévigné, 2022.

► Roy 2016 : Roy Eddie, Trémuson (22), Le coin des petits clos, Rapport de diagnostic, Inrap Grand-Ouest, Cesson-Sévigné, 2016.

🕮 Brisotto et al. 2024 : Brisotto Vérane, Cherel Anne-Françoise, Jaccottey Luc, Bourne Stéphane, "Découverte d'un nouvel ensemble de quatre bustes en pierre à Trémuson, Côtes-d'Armor : étude technologique et approche stylistique", dans Olmer Fabienne, Girard Benjamin , Roure Réjane (dir.), Expressions artistiques des sociétés des âges du Fer, Actes du 46e colloque international de l'AFEAF, Aix-en-Provence, 26-28 mai 2022, Paris : AFEAF, p. 121-140.

Exhibition : In Trémuson, history is watching you! Visit ▶BACK ▶

In Trémuson, history is watching you!

In Trémuson, history is watching you!

In Trémuson, history is watching you!

In Trémuson, history is watching you!

First traces of occupation

First traces of occupation

Tableware... 6000 years old!

Bronze Age ritual markers

Ceramics adorned in red

Ceramics adorned in red

Reusing old tools

Reusing old tools

Gallic farm basements

Gallic farm basements

Atypical garbage cans

Atypical garbage cans

Vases for every purpose

Vases for every purpose

Daily weaving

Grist for the mill

At the bottom of the well

At the bottom of the well

Archaism on some well vases

Archaism on some well vases

An environment conducive to conservation

An environment conducive to conservation

The tripod bucket from Trémuson

The tripod bucket from Trémuson

Portrait gallery

Portrait gallery

A forgotten manor

A forgotten manor

The kitchen of the XVIᵉ century

The kitchen of the XVIᵉ century

Clothing accessories

Clothing accessories

Jet object

Jet object

Italian taste

Thanks