Sébastien RONSSERAY, Julien BLANCO FORMAE TOMBS, SARCOPHAGI AND MONASTIC COMMUNITY AT CHELLES ABBEY DURING THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES: specific selection and funerary structures in the Saint George’s church cemetery

Abstract

The Saint George’s church cemetery in Chelles is traditionally associated with the Merovingian abbey founded by Queen Bathild. Until recently, no anthropological study had defined the cemetery’s characteristics. In 2015, partial excavation of the cemetery revealed a female population buried in sarcophagi and formae tombs. The latter, built in advance in series, bear witness to provision for deaths within the community and underline a desire to rationalise burial space. A functional connection between the early monastic settlement and the cemetery can thus be established for the first time.

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