The first reported discoveries in the commune of Saint-Marcel on the site of Arentomagus arose in the 16th century.

This attracted the attention of scholars from the 19th century but the first methodical excavations didn't come about until the 1960s.

They were undertaken at the instigation of the Society for the Preservation of the Archaeological Site of Argentomagus, created at a point in time when projected urban expansion began to threaten the site.

These excavations gave rise to the discovery of the centre of the ancient town, buried under the gardens and vines on the edge of the village and prevented the destruction of the remains.