The first archaeological investigations conducted in Saint-Philippe in 1973 identified nine former wells along the coast, only three of which can still be seen today. In 2014, an archaeological record was made of the Puits des Français.
The Puits des Français
Located to the east of Cap Méchant, the well is sixty or so metres from the sea. An archive document from 1872 mentions the sinking of a well in Basse Vallée, although the date of its initial construction remains unknown.
The well’s vertical conduit is dug into the volcanic rock to a depth of more than 7 metres. Three moil holes on its sides suggest explosives were used to sink it. The mouth was altered several times during the course of the 20th century. During the survey, finds were removed from a recess in the lower section of the well shaft, including blown glass, ceramic sherds and a white terracotta pipe bowl.
Access to water
Like the Puits Arabe, the location of the Puits des Français offers an insight into how the first settlers here solved the water supply problem. At the interface between two volcanic flows from different ages, the site is favourable to groundwater flow and the fractured rock made it was easier to sink the well at this point.
