Source des Roches, Archaeological site in Chamalières, France
Source des Roches is an archaeological site in Chamalières featuring a sacred spring sanctuary with mineral waters. Excavations between 1968 and 1971 uncovered thousands of wooden votive offerings and a lead tablet with an inscription, revealing the religious practices of people who visited this place.
The site was used in the first century CE when people came to leave votive offerings at the sacred spring. Systematic excavations in the late 1960s showed that religious activity at the location had continued over an extended period.
A lead tablet with Gaulish text dedicated to the god Maponos shows how people in ancient times made offerings at this sacred spring. Visitors can see traces of these religious practices in the objects displayed at the museum.
The artifacts found at the site are preserved and displayed at the Bargoin Museum in Clermont-Ferrand, where you can examine them up close. Planning a visit to the museum will give you the best understanding of what was discovered at this location.
Pollen analysis revealed unusually high oak tree concentrations in the area, suggesting a sacred grove existed during Roman times. This indicates that the wooded surroundings were an intentional part of the religious experience.
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