Discovered in the nineteenth century, the harbour town of Urville-Nacqueville has been the subject of excavations since 2009. Occupied between 120 and 80 BC, the site now lies under the beach and is at risk from coastal erosion. Its location on the foreshore makes it a complex site to study.
An outstanding Gallic site
Excavations on the village situated in the area known as Batterie Basse began in 2010. They have yielded information on the crafts and trade occurring in what is the only known example of a Gallic tidal harbour on the Channel coast. Artefacts found on the site include amphorae for Italian wine, English ceramics, Mediterranean coral, Baltic amber, and coins. Such items illustrate the role played by the conurbation in the economic networks of north-west Europe.
The necropolis
Since 2011 excavations have focused on the area known as Les Dunes which contains a necropolis featuring instances of both burial and cremation. The necropolis gives archaeologists an opportunity to study the funerary practices of the late Iron Age (La Tène). Also, exceptionally well-preserved DNA makes it possible to characterize the population.
