Village médiéval déserté de Montchauvet, Medieval archaeological site in Saugues, France.
The abandoned settlement of Montchauvet is a medieval village site spread across the northeastern slopes of Mount Chauvet at roughly 1,485 meters elevation in the Margeride mountains. The ruins reveal remains of homes, defensive structures, ditches, and walls from the 10th through 15th centuries.
The village took shape in the 10th century and developed over several ages before falling into abandonment. Systematic excavations between 1966 and 1991 unearthed the foundations and traces of this lost community.
The settlement was tied to a noble family who held power in the region for generations. Walking through the ruins today, you can sense how their authority shaped the village's layout and structure.
Visiting the site requires advance planning and permission, as parts of the ruins sit on private land that must be respected. The controlled access helps protect the fragile medieval remains from damage.
Beyond the medieval remnants, the site held traces of Neolithic peoples, including flint tools and arrowheads. These older artifacts reveal that humans were drawn to this high mountain location thousands of years before the medieval village appeared.
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