It’s so fascinating that every time people start digging in Aix, they come up with
remains from Roman times. And the latest to be uncovered is 50 metres of road near to the hospital.
There is to be a new car-park for the hospital and a bus lane on ave Philippe Solari, and the archaeologists started work on July 11th, ahead of the diggers, despite desert-like conditions of extreme heat. Just 15 days later, they were unearthing the road that led from the ancient town centre, during the 1st-3rd centuries AD. It would have been a major road – 9m wide – and very intensively used as there are still chariot ruts to be seen in the stone and pebble surface.
It was long suspected that there was an old road in the vicinity but there was no 
sign of it until this summer. Bearing in mind that there was a Roman theatre on the site of Notre Dame des Seds, (partially excavated and now filled in waiting for budget!) it is only to be expected that people living in the centre would want to ride along there for the shows, or to travel north towards the Alps. Because the road was outside the Roman city walls, it is expected that there will be more burial sites alongside it, and probably agricultural buildings too.
I see work has started too in the Place des Precheurs and wonder what will emerge from this other extensive dig. Exciting times for the archaeologists.
Read more here: http://www.aixenprovence.fr/Une-voie-romaine-decouverte-sur-le-terrain-de-l-hopital
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