The Loyasse cemetery definitely hides much more than just modern graves. As part of its extensive redevelopment project, archaeological excavations are taking place in this historic site in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon. Following the spectacular discovery of an almost intact Roman road and the foundations of a tower, researchers have just unearthed some intriguingly new remains.
Horses and furniture nearly 2,000 years old
Among the most significant discoveries are the remains of two equids dating back to antiquity. According to information revealed by Le Progrès, horse skeletons have been found alongside some pretty amazing artifacts.
Ancient archaeological furniture. In addition, there are fragments of ceramics, metallic objects made of copper alloy, and faunal remains, uncovered in a large ancient ditch filled in during the 2nd century AD. A true historical puzzle that sheds a little more light on Lyon's Gallo-Roman past.
© Direction de l’Archéologie de la Ville de Lyon
These remains confirm a continuous occupation of the site over several centuries. The discoveries were made in an area destined to become one of the future pathways of the parc des Balmes, between rue du Bas de Loyasse and rue du Cardinal-Gerlier. This is exactly where a future urban farm is set to be established within the cemetery, a project that combines heritage, nature, and contemporary use.
Loyasse, an open-air history book
From Antiquity to modern times, Loyasse tells a story.is an uninterrupted story. These new discoveries strengthen the idea that the Fourvière hill and its surroundings have been occupied, exploited, and transformed continuously for nearly two millennia. Proof that even beneath the most peaceful spots in Lyon, history never truly sleeps... it just waits for us to unearth it.