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In
August 1986, the excavations
prior to the construction
of the new museum led to
the discovery of a dwelling
on at least three levels
including two basements.
At
the south-western corner
of the smaller of these
two cellars were discovered
the remains of a stone-built
kiosk, whitewashed on the
outside, enclosing two
statues and a phallus standing
upright on a floor of whitish
mortar behind a small circular
table.
Originally,
this kiosk must have constituted
a miniature temple topped
with a double sloping roof
covered with tiles. Its
internal paintwork shows
a white background surrounded
by a fringed "openwork" border
in primitive colours of
green and dark red.
The
largest of the statues,
49 cms tall, is of a man
sitting on a cushion, a
serpent on his knees. He
is wearing a torque around
his neck and a second around
his right wrist. The second,
42 cms tall, is of a man
sitting in an armchair
with a priestly demeanour,
his two hands lain on his
knees, the left holding
a purse.
These
two statues made of local
limestone were standing
side by side, and that
their reverse sides were
roughly hewn indicates
they were designed to be
placed next to a wall and
not viewed from that angle.
Chiselled
directly in the manner
of high relief, they display
several errors of proportion
and have obviously been
made in the workshop of
a local artist.
Both
statues have been painted.
Examination of the traces
of polychromy show that
the second figure was covered
entirely in yellow, except
for the purse and his shoes
which were in green.
The
first statue wore a green
tunic and breeches of the
same colour but with a
red check.
Completed
by a long stone reminiscent
of a phallus and a figurine
of Venus in white clay,
found crushed between the
wall and the larger of
the statues, as well as
a small limestone table
elegantly moulded around
the edge, the group has
been dated to the second
half of the 2nd century
or the beginning of the
3rd.
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Argentomagus, du site
gaulois à la ville gallo-romaine,
G. Coulon et Coll. © Editions
Errance
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