Les deux morceaux de sarcophages sculptés, du type du Sud-Ouest de la France, découverts dans le sanctuaire majeur de l’église abbatiale de Caunes-Minervois

Abstract

These two fragments, one in a rather good state of preservation, the other worn out by people walking on the gothic pavement of the sanctuary of the abbey church on which both had been reused raises several interesting questions. We will do our best to answer them. Otherwise, we will very modestly make a few suggestions, in the light of similar cases which will be discussed during the colloquium. There is no doubt as to the belonging of the sculptures to a type of sarcophagi particular to a wide South-West of Gaul, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rhône valley and from the Pyrénées to the Massif Central, with a high density (and production ?) in the Garonne valley and in Low Languedoc. The main characteristics, which are also to be found at Caunes, will be specified. The origin of these sculptured marbles, broken before or for their re-use in the pavement of the medieval church, where their decorated faces were left apparent, remains quite mysterious. Did the complete sarcophagi they are remains belong to a Paleo-christian necropolis at Caunes or in its neighbourhood ? Did they come from a more distant place ? Where were they created ? Does their presence in the abbey testify to their re-use for privileged monumental tombs during the pre-Romanesque or Romanesque period ?