About us: a long adventure...

he Museum of the Dark Ages is a site museum especially devoted to the Early Middle Ages, and to the Merovingian period.

It is installed in an old watermill near the river "La Serre" in Marle in the department of Aisne. It is open to the public since 1991. The museum of Marle, by its specialization and its specificity, is a unique site in northern France. He results of a human adventure that lasts about 1 / 4 of a century:

The story begins during the winter of 1980-1981, to Goudelancourt-lès-Pierrepont, a small village in north-eastern department of the Aisne, where a young farmer, Gabriel Renard, a passion for local history and the archeology, discovered by plowing one of his fields a former cemetery. Intrigued by the discovery of a sarcophagus lid, he alerts local archaeologists and creates an archaeological association: it is the beginning of a long adventure...

 

From the excavations...

uring seven excavations campaigns from 1981 to 1987, a Merovingian necropolis was uncovered and fully excavated. The necropolis of the Pierrepont Goudelancourt is the only Merovingian necropolis of the department of Aisne who has been exhaustively researched and scientifically.

Two cemeteries…

The necropolis datable of centuries VI-VII delivered 458 graves in two cemeteries divided, separated by a strip of land without graves. The configuration of this necropolis in two cores, two cemeteries is not common. Like many Merovingian necropolis, the two cemeteries are composed of several rows of graves more or less parallel.
Despite the destruction caused by the plowing and the looting of tombs, discovered furniture are heavy: ceramics, weapons, accessories, clothing and jewelry items that are well represented. The study of the furniture to highlight the various phases of occupation of this necropolis, which range from 530/540 to 680/690.

Housing remnants…

In 1988, a survey to locate the first sector of housing and a second, near the necropolis at the foot of the hill. The first area was completely excavated between 1988 and 1992. In 1996, a third sector housing has been discovered further east, about 500m from the necropolis. Since 1997, the third sector housing, much more complex than the first two is the subject of a search set. Now the search is interrupted to allow to take stock.
The discovery and excavation of housing in conjunction with Merovingian necropolis reinforces the interest of the site of the Goudelancourt-lès-Pierrepont unique in northern France.

A merovingian farm…

From 1988 to 1992, the structures corresponding to a strong Merovingian complete VI-VII century have been uncovered: a house with a fireplace, a well, 4 buildings with economic (barn, workshop ...), 14 cabins excavated (dug into the ground), furnaces, fireplaces and various objects were searched.

A deposit of excavations

n 1988, given the importance of the site, the Ministry of Culture (Service Régional de l'Archéologie de Picardie) supports the complete equipment of a deposit excavated on the third floor of the watermill of Marle. Archaeologists can undertake the study furniture uncovered in good conditions and then store it after study. Thus, after having been examined by an anthropologist at the CNRS, the skeletons of the Merovingian Goudelancourt have incorporated new graves shaped boxes ... ditto for the bones of animal of habitat areas.

To the Museum...

>> See the page on the Museum