Village de l’An Mil de Melrand (FR)
In 1902, an archaeologist excavated on a plateau in Central Brittany and unearthed a well preserved village, deserving to be described in a consequent publication.
Originally mistakenly dated from the Gallic period, the site once again interested the community of researchers from 1977 and finally revealed its true identity, that of a village occupied during a good part of the Middle Ages. On 1.5 hectares, there are 15 houses, a bread oven, a wood shed, traffic lanes, courtyards... Each of these structures is marked by walls visible even before being investigated. At present, only 1/3 of the site has been excavated, leaving in uncertainty many spaces in which were to be buildings all in wood of which we do not see anything on the surface today. Chicken coops, storage spaces on stilts, cabins to shelter animals had to accompany the bigger buildings.
Soon the idea came to reconstruct the universe of which he is a reliable and faithful witness, that of the daily life of peasant populations as existed everywhere in Europe. A reconstruction program started, on a piece of land very close to the medieval ruins which are thus studied continuously, protected and put in value. Gradually, houses, storage places on stilts, oven, wood shed, henhouse, area to beat, sheepfold, spaces for metallurgy, potter's oven, fish smoking area were constructed, giving the researchers as well as the visitors the feeling of immersion in a forgotten daily life, yet so close. A garden is also created to show the plants which grew and were harvested here in the past. Old breeds are introduced for breeding.
Everything is done to stay faithful and therefore sober in the presentation. The visitor is helped in his discovery by a video at the beginning of the visit then by panels and a guide book (French, English, Italian, Dutch or Breton) can be lend at the entrance.
This site tries to present history and archaeology for school groups with a circuit passes successively through the garden, the original archaeology and ends with the reconstructed buildings, fruit of many years of research and reflection.
This is a site where you have to take your time, stop a moment very quietly!