"You'll have a lot more questions than answers, a lot of 'maybes,' because we're only at the very beginning of the investigation." Annie Bolle (National Institute of Preventive Archeological Research, INRAP) began with a great deal of caution when speaking to the journalists – normally keen on sensational stories – who, on Monday, February 10, had made the trip to the western French city of Nantes to visit the Arc'Antique laboratory. The remains of an archeological excavation that she had just carried out were set to be stabilized, cleaned and studied there. Her caution stemmed from the fact that this excavation, which has discovered an enigmatic "Nordic" presence dating back to the early Middle Ages on the French Atlantic coastal island of the Île de Ré, has sparked curiosity. The term "Nordic" was favored, rather than venturing to use the word "Scandinavian," let alone "Viking," which was on everyone's lips.
The facts, all the facts and nothing but the facts, therefore. First, the location: The site was on a 900m2 plot in the village of La Flotte, where a resident had planned to build their home. A preliminary survey showed the site's archeological potential, notably with the discovery of a tomb that was carbon-14 dated back to somewhere between 772 and 972 – i.e. the Carolingian era. Researchers then set to work from October 3 to December 20, 2024, to explore the entire site, uncovering some 50 graves. Some were located in what has since been identified as a chapel, the final state of which dates back to the 15th century, while others, older ones that contained around 15 adults and eight children, were located outside of the religious site.
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