The Gallo-Roman Museum invites you to attend the fourth and final lecture in this series on 13 June 2026 at 3 pm. (In French)
The topic:
Rome in the countryside: marble and glass decorations in the Grande Boussue villa in Nouvelles.
Catherine COQUELET – Walloon Heritage Agency, Central Zone Operational Directorate. Roland DREESEN – Geological Survey of Belgium, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Éric GOEMAERE – Geological Survey of Belgium, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Éric LEBLOIS – Independent researcher. Archéosite and Musée d’Aubechies-Belœil asbl.
From its discovery in the late 19th century to the most recent archaeological excavations carried out in 1996, the villa at Nouvelles has yielded a wealth of evidence suggesting the affluence of its owners, who were likely members of the Gallo-Roman elite settled in the ancient city of the Nerviens (province of Gallia Belgica).
Among the remains of the main building, which is of exceptional size, numerous marble pieces were recovered that originally formed part of the wall-mounted decoration adorning the walls of certain rooms. A multidisciplinary study of these, undertaken by a team of geologists and archaeologists, has revealed certain distinctive features, suggesting a regional adaptation of Roman decorative models through the combined use of Mediterranean marbles and locally quarried stones. These ornaments are associated with the frescoes, and even, in one of the smallest rooms, with a glass mosaic, which is currently being analysed. Taken together, this data allows us to reconstruct, to some extent, the living environment offered by this residence and the ceremonial role played by certain spaces within it.
The European Archaeology Days (EAD) will take place on 12, 13 and 14 June 2026.
The temporary exhibition: Careers in Archaeology, from 28 February 2026 to 1 November 2026
“To mark the 25th anniversary of the regionalisation of archaeology, a photographic exhibition illustrating the various professions associated with archaeology has been curated by Guy Focant, a photographer at the Walloon Heritage Agency.
The aim of this exhibition is to dispel the idealised image often associated with the profession of archaeologist by illustrating the evolution of this discipline and the contribution of related sciences. From the initial preliminary fieldwork through to the restoration of discovered objects, via all the research carried out in specialist laboratories, the various professions linked to archaeology will be scrutinised through the lens of the camera.” AWaP
