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Archaeological digs IOC

Before construction work starts on the new Olympic House, archaeological digs have been taking place on the Vidy site. Archeodunum was the company that was entrusted with this work, following the call for tenders organised by the International Olympic Committee in close cooperation with the authorities of the Canton of Vaud. From February to June 2016, a dozen archaeologists took up residence on the Vidy site to perform this work, which was based on a brief defined by the Canton’s Archaeology Section.

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Four research areas

The brief defined four research areas: zones 1 and 2 (4,000 m2), which were dug in their entirety; and zones 3 and 4 (3,500 m2), which were “under surveillance”. When construction begins in zones 3 and 4, the archaeologists will follow the terracing work in order to document any discoveries made on the building site.

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A medieval cemetery

Zone 1, in front of the Château de Vidy, appeared likely to host a high number of finds. Indeed, the previous archaeological digs, which were undertaken in 2006, showed that the IOC “Pavillon” was built on a mediaeval burial site. Almost 150 new tombs were discovered in this sector, which also saw human activity in the Middle Ages. As yet, we do not know whether it was a town, a village or a craft zone.

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The port of Lousonna

Zone 2, located next to the Route de Vidy, reflects the Roman era. The remains uncovered here show that numerous storage areas were present in the sector and that the shores of the lake were built upon (during this period, the lake shore was as high as the Château de Vidy). In this zone, the archaeologists discovered the remains of something built out into the lake, as well as quays. These elements have led to the hypothesis that the commercial port of the Roman town of Lousonna (the ancient name given to the city of Lausanne) was situated in this area. Future analyses will allow us to date the elements discovered and establish the chronology of the site.

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