The first half-day was devoted to discovering the site and observing the structures unearthed during excavations. The objective was to identify all the clues and traces of a city buried under the forest through a reading of the landscape and to understand the aims and methods of archaeological investigation.
The afternoon provided an opportunity to deepen the notion of confinement and biodiversity, themes common to both establishments. The 6th also faced clay.
The seconds followed two workshops:
Workshop 1: How to restore the ancient landscape through plant remains?
Workshop 2 Under key: access control
A common and symbolic object, the key already had great importance in the Gallo-Roman world. With the help of facsimiles of locks, exhibited collections and documentation, the pupils tried to understand the mechanisms used and the different uses of the keys which have been identified on the Bibracte site.
On Tuesday, March 21, half of the second and the 6th grade group were introduced to excavation techniques on the “Excavation simulator- site of initiation to field archaeology” and sampling of sediments.
The rigorous approach of the gestures on the construction site allowed the pupils to understand why one only digs if necessary, because the gesture of excavation destroys its object of study.
At the research center, these students sorted the fragments found in the morning in the afternoon. The pupils identified the furniture according to the nature of the remains
• Stone
• Artificial materials (terracotta, glass)
• Metal (iron, bronze, etc.)
• Organic matter (bones, wood, seeds, charcoal, pollen, etc.)
The students interpreted the excavation data, relating the structures of the construction site to the objects discovered.
The 6th graders learned to identify a shard, to recognize which part of the vase it corresponds to (rim, foot, belly,) and observe the decorations. They also learned the function of the main ceramic forms of Bibracte (amphoras, jars, plates, goblets).
The other part of the seconds visited the Glux research center in Glenne and was introduced to geomatics by geomatician archaeologist Arnaud Meunier.
Geomatics is the contraction of the terms geography and computer science.
This discipline brings together all the tools and methods used to represent, analyze and integrate geographic data. It is therefore a computer processing of geographical data;
Mr Meunier introduced them to the different disciplines of geomatics: topography, cartography and GIS, photogrammetry, remote sensing.
Mr Meunier also reminded them of the principle of LIDAR.
The LIDAR technique (for Light Detection and ranging: detection and measurement by light) A transmitter on board an aircraft sends a laser beam which hits obstacles on the ground and is returned to its source.
The students thus discovered the topographical instruments: tacheometer and site telescope.
The drone is increasingly used for shooting: a demonstration at the end of the day was carried out. Several photos of the group of 50 students were taken to their delight!
