Historical underground quarrying: A multidisciplinary research in the Caumont quarry (c. 13th–19th centuries), France

Quarries represent ‘landscapes archives’ as they supplied the stone required for historical buildings. Among them, Caumont ancient quarry stands out in northern France, with its huge dimensions and role, providing building stones at a regional scale since least Middle Ages. The present study aims to approach quarrying methods used over time by means of an optimized methodological approach. designed methodology combines (1) 3D modelling quarry, (2) archaeological prospection, (3) stratigraphical microscopical quarried bedrock, (4) geochronological stalagmites precipitated inside quarry. studied was excavated open-cast beginning escarpments along River Seine transformed later underground supported contoured bedrock pillars. 12 km galleries shows chambers-and-pillars pattern style using two methods, producing inferred volume 273,529 m3 stone. U–Th dating suggests that activity had begun early medieval period agrees excavation techniques documents.