Le Clos de la Lombarde à Narbonne. Espaces publics et privés du secteur nord-est

Within the ancient city of Narbonne, the Clos de la Lombarde is the only area where it has been possible to carry out extensive excavations during recent years; they revealed a residential settlement of the Roman period, the study of which illustrates various aspects of daily life in the provincial capital. At the end of the Ist c. BC, the town expanded, leading to the creation of streets with a drainage system that delineated the insulae; in the course of time, the houses in these insulae encroached onto this public space. Studies of the floor and wall decorations and of the various classes of finds (ceramic, glass, metal, coins and building materials), as well as of the faunal remains, combine to show that this region of the northern periphery of Narbonne was occupied by a social class of high status. The craft activities, illustrated by bronze-, iron- and bone working, as well as wool-processing, played a secondary role; these activities, for the most part, preceded or succeeded the area's period of prosperity, which was marked by the construction of large town houses. Following on from their publication of several years ago, M. & R. Sabrié have gathered together here a team of specialists whose contributions round off, or shed light on, the description of the structural remains.