From September 11th to 22nd, three archaeologists from IRAMAT, CNRS excavated the moulin à litharges, a by-product from the lead metallurgical industry, and its nearby environment.
They had to deal with September’s weather: hostile weather conditions: rain that flooded the canal each night and the dreadful weather on Saturday, September 16th, the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine,(Heritage Days) had to be cancelled despite the unexpected sunny spells instead of the showers forecasted.
Excavations have yielded very beautiful remains: a re-used granite crown, together with a brick casing, lead by-products (under analysis), a fragment of the mechanism, traces of a floor, fragments of the paddle wheel, a haulage track. The drain canal was cleared, an aerial section originally equipped with a floor and an underground route.
Excavations made it possible to better perceive the successive reorganizations throughout the 67 years of running the smelting works.
This 2023 campaign was also an opportunity to pursue the 3D computer modelling project aimed at creating a digital duplicate of the site, both through drone or land data acquisition.
This operation is funded by the DRAC Occitanie, The Department of Lozère and backed by The Pyrène Asociation. The preliminary groundwork was carried out by the Vialas Town Hall, with the support of DRAC Occitanie. The association Le Filon des Anciens provides logistical … and enthusiastic support.
