An interesting discovery was made in 2017 during construction work for a new house in the city of Auch (southwestern France). It took place in April this year, and after the assessment by archaeologists, it turned out that these are the remains of a Roman domus.
The property dates back to imperial times and was a luxury property. The house was a short distance from the forum of the ancient city Augusta Auscorum. The land conquered by the Romans was a place where rich nobles willingly built their estates.
In the found villa, numerous colourful floor and wall mosaics with numerous symbols and geometric figures were found. Scientists say that the house was heavily rebuilt in the early 4th century CE, when baths were added, in which at least three rooms were heated with a Roman floor heating system hypocaustum.
This house – as well as other late Roman buildings – was abandoned and forgotten, and the materials from it served as a building materials for the immigrant peoples. The structure went underground and survived in such a state until its recent discovery.
