65 metres worth of opus spicatum, Caumont-sur-Durance. Photo: TMK, August 2008.
A relatively ‘new’ Roman site in Provence is “Le Jardin Romain” in Caumont-sur-Durance. The site opened in July 2006, and has branded itself as a sort of didactic playground (labyrinth included). The villa to which the garden originally belonged is still buried below modern housing, but its centrepiece, a 65 metres long monumental basin paved with opus spicatum can now be seen in its full glory. The owner’s taste for a luxurious villa lifestyle is also suggested by other finds such as Campana plaques and marble statuary (now in Avignon).
Another view of the monumental basin, Caumont-sur-Durance. Photo: TMK, August 2008.
French site management at Caumont-sur-Durance. Photo: TMK, August 2008.