Source thermale antique de Bourbonne-les-Bains (Borvo et Damona)

Bourbonne-les-Bains

In the heart of the little spa town of Bourbonne, a hot spring comes out of the ground at about 65 °C. The Romans captured it in a masonry sump, at the centre of their baths. When it was emptied, in winter 1874-1875, thousands of coins were found at the bottom: 4,512 were officially counted, and it is estimated that about 10,000 were taken away. Almost 90% date from Augustus or earlier, and they are mostly small copper coins, often cut in half. According to a specialist, they are more likely private offerings than a hidden hoard. They begin around 9 BC, give or take two or three years. The town's inscriptions name the god of the spring Borvo and his companion Damona: eleven are known, eight of which associate them. Only one equates Borvo with Apollo. To these are added bronzes (a forearm holding a ball, serpent heads), prehistoric flints reused as offerings and, in 1977-1978, two oak heads, one of which has an eye set with gold leaf. After a first wave of about ten years, offerings became rarer but continued from the 1st to the 3rd century; the site declined around 276.

World Archaeology — Bourbonne-les-Bains ↗

Getting there: A large part of the ancient bath was destroyed in 1977-1978 during the construction of the modern establishment, with little archaeological recording. No visitable remains were found in the sources consulted, and the place where the objects of 1875 are kept is not indicated there. Coordinates: place des Bains, at the thermal centre (OpenStreetMap), within a few hundred metres.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound