Living with gods

Around the Gallo-Roman sanctuary of the Gué-de-Sciaux

The ceramic dishes of the Gué-de-Sciaux’s sanctuary pits (Antigny)

The presence of many pieces of ceramics in the pits of the sanctuary interrogates the gesture and the rite which guided their burying.

Contrary to another place of cult, no miniature vase has been buried. Terra cotta statuettes are very rare. Vases correspond to everyday objects situated in the sacred space. Nothing seems to differentiate the ceramics from these pits and the ones from a classic context of housing environment: the storage, cooking and presentation vessels are present. However, there are some terra nigra urns and white pitchers.

In a pit, many balsamaires have been discovered. Those little vases, very rare in the west of the Gaul, are generally considered as scented oil containers. Yet, chemical analysis showed the Gué-de-Sciaux’s balsamaires didn’t contain vegetable oil; one got beeswax, a dairy product and a grape-derived component.

Many vases are broken on the collar or have perforation tracks; some presents a pre-cutting made by a point. We can also see those examples of voluntary broken dishes in Argenton-sur-Creuse or in Limoges. It is a testimony of various gestures: cutting, fire, etc.

Animal representations have been chosen to be deposited in pits, as a piece of ceramic decorated with a character holding a stag with a cord or an oil lamp medallion figuring a dolphin. Some vases are remarkable.

Despite the mention of entrails on a terra nigra vase, the rites which guided those submissions remain a mystery.