As the Bayeux Tapestry prepares for its historic debut at the British Museum, its longtime home in Normandy is revealing medieval treasures of a different kind. Archaeological excavations around the former Bayeux Tapestry Museum have uncovered evidence of tanning and dyeing from the 10th to 12th centuries, along with hundreds of burials and traces of nearly 2,000 years of life in the city.
The excavations were carried out as part of the major redevelopment of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, which had displayed the famous 11th-century embroidery in the city’s former Grand Seminary since 1983. The museum closed last year and is scheduled to reopen in October 2027, with the project designed to improve both the conservation and presentation of the Tapestry.
Before construction could begin, archaeologists were given an opportunity to investigate the ground around the former museum. The archaeological project covered some 7,000 square metres and was carried out by the Archaeology Service of the Department of Calvados.
When the excavation began in May 2025, archaeologists already knew that the area contained evidence of ancient occupation as well as cemeteries associated with the nearby Hôtel-Dieu. Initial work revealed numerous pits and ditches, with remains ranging in date from antiquity to the modern period.
“These excavations are important for better understanding the history of the site and enriching our knowledge, and the results will help us to showcase our local heritage,” said Loïc Jamin, Bayeux’s deputy mayor responsible for museums, tourism and heritage.
Fieldwork continued until October 2025. By its conclusion, archaeologists had uncovered around 500 archaeological features and nearly 300 burials. Study of the large quantity of material recovered from the site is continuing, but archaeologists have now revealed some of their findings.
Some of the most intriguing discoveries concern the people who lived and worked here during the Middle Ages.
Along Rue aux Coqs, on the eastern side of the excavation, archaeologists discovered several structures dating from the 10th to 12th centuries that appear to have been associated with dyeing and tanning. Documentary evidence had already indicated that these crafts were practised in this part of medieval Bayeux, and the archaeological remains now provide physical evidence of those activities.
One structure was particularly well preserved. Part of its wooden lining remained in place, consisting of planks supported by posts at the corners. Its fill contained large quantities of plant material, including seeds, fruit stones and moss, as well as ceramics bearing traces of colouring agents. Archaeologists believe the installation was probably associated with tanning.
The dates make the discovery particularly interesting in the context of the museum. The tanning and dyeing activity took place around the same period in which the Bayeux Tapestry was created. There is no evidence connecting these workshops with the production of the Tapestry itself, but the finds offer a glimpse of craft activity taking place in Bayeux around the time the famous embroidery was made.
The excavation has also revealed more about the religious history of the site. The area was closely associated with the Hôtel-Dieu of Bayeux, traditionally said to have been founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, although the earliest documentary evidence for the institution dates from the 12th century.
Augustinian canons later took charge of the Hôtel-Dieu, and a charter dating from 1486 records the establishment of the Priory of Saint-Jean-l’Évangéliste. Part of this medieval religious complex extended into the area later occupied by the Bayeux Tapestry Museum.
Archaeologists uncovered 130 burials associated with the medieval priory. Remarkably, they had survived the extensive work carried out when the former seminary was converted into the Tapestry museum in the early 1980s.
The medieval discoveries form the heart of the excavation, but archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a much longer history beneath and around the museum. Among the earliest finds is a Roman aqueduct running through the site. Archaeologists also recovered a decorated thin-walled drinking vessel dating from the first century AD, providing evidence for activity here many centuries before the medieval town developed.
The site continued to change long after the Middle Ages. The Grand Seminary was established in the 17th century, and archaeologists unexpectedly uncovered foundations and installations belonging to its former cellar and press, constructed during the first half of the 19th century.
Historic plans preserved in the Departmental Archives showed vats, presses and numerous pipes associated with this complex, but the remains themselves had never previously been uncovered. Their discovery adds another layer to a site that has been repeatedly transformed over nearly two millennia.
A new chapter for the Bayeux Tapestry
Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux (Bayeux Tapestry Museum) – photo by Andy Li / Wikimedia Commons
The archaeological excavations were possible because of a €38-million redevelopment of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. The former Grand Seminary is being renovated, while a new building will be constructed alongside it to house the Tapestry itself. The project will also expand the museum’s presentation of the historical, cultural and artistic world of medieval Europe.
When the museum reopens in October 2027, the nearly 70-metre-long embroidery will be displayed on an inclined table inside a new purpose-built gallery, intended to provide improved conditions for both visitors and the conservation of the nearly 1,000-year-old work.
The museum’s closure has also provided an unusual opportunity for the Tapestry to travel. It is now in London for a major exhibition at the British Museum opening on 10 September. The loan marks the first time the Tapestry has been displayed in Britain.
After the exhibition, the Bayeux Tapestry will eventually return to a museum that looks very different from the one it left. By then, archaeologists will also know considerably more about the site itself, where evidence of Roman infrastructure, medieval craftsmen and religious communities, and centuries of later activity has survived beneath the former home of one of the Middle Ages’ most famous works.
As the Bayeux Tapestry prepares for its historic debut at the British Museum, its longtime home in Normandy is revealing medieval treasures of a different kind. Archaeological excavations around the former Bayeux Tapestry Museum have uncovered evidence of tanning and dyeing from the 10th to 12th centuries, along with hundreds of burials and traces of nearly 2,000 years of life in the city.
The excavations were carried out as part of the major redevelopment of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum, which had displayed the famous 11th-century embroidery in the city’s former Grand Seminary since 1983. The museum closed last year and is scheduled to reopen in October 2027, with the project designed to improve both the conservation and presentation of the Tapestry.
Before construction could begin, archaeologists were given an opportunity to investigate the ground around the former museum. The archaeological project covered some 7,000 square metres and was carried out by the Archaeology Service of the Department of Calvados.
When the excavation began in May 2025, archaeologists already knew that the area contained evidence of ancient occupation as well as cemeteries associated with the nearby Hôtel-Dieu. Initial work revealed numerous pits and ditches, with remains ranging in date from antiquity to the modern period.
“These excavations are important for better understanding the history of the site and enriching our knowledge, and the results will help us to showcase our local heritage,” said Loïc Jamin, Bayeux’s deputy mayor responsible for museums, tourism and heritage.
Fieldwork continued until October 2025. By its conclusion, archaeologists had uncovered around 500 archaeological features and nearly 300 burials. Study of the large quantity of material recovered from the site is continuing, but archaeologists have now revealed some of their findings.
Tanning and dyeing in medieval Bayeux
Some of the most intriguing discoveries concern the people who lived and worked here during the Middle Ages.
Along Rue aux Coqs, on the eastern side of the excavation, archaeologists discovered several structures dating from the 10th to 12th centuries that appear to have been associated with dyeing and tanning. Documentary evidence had already indicated that these crafts were practised in this part of medieval Bayeux, and the archaeological remains now provide physical evidence of those activities.
One structure was particularly well preserved. Part of its wooden lining remained in place, consisting of planks supported by posts at the corners. Its fill contained large quantities of plant material, including seeds, fruit stones and moss, as well as ceramics bearing traces of colouring agents. Archaeologists believe the installation was probably associated with tanning.
The dates make the discovery particularly interesting in the context of the museum. The tanning and dyeing activity took place around the same period in which the Bayeux Tapestry was created. There is no evidence connecting these workshops with the production of the Tapestry itself, but the finds offer a glimpse of craft activity taking place in Bayeux around the time the famous embroidery was made.
The excavation has also revealed more about the religious history of the site. The area was closely associated with the Hôtel-Dieu of Bayeux, traditionally said to have been founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, although the earliest documentary evidence for the institution dates from the 12th century.
Augustinian canons later took charge of the Hôtel-Dieu, and a charter dating from 1486 records the establishment of the Priory of Saint-Jean-l’Évangéliste. Part of this medieval religious complex extended into the area later occupied by the Bayeux Tapestry Museum.
Archaeologists uncovered 130 burials associated with the medieval priory. Remarkably, they had survived the extensive work carried out when the former seminary was converted into the Tapestry museum in the early 1980s.
Nearly 2,000 years of Bayeux history
The medieval discoveries form the heart of the excavation, but archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a much longer history beneath and around the museum. Among the earliest finds is a Roman aqueduct running through the site. Archaeologists also recovered a decorated thin-walled drinking vessel dating from the first century AD, providing evidence for activity here many centuries before the medieval town developed.
The site continued to change long after the Middle Ages. The Grand Seminary was established in the 17th century, and archaeologists unexpectedly uncovered foundations and installations belonging to its former cellar and press, constructed during the first half of the 19th century.
Historic plans preserved in the Departmental Archives showed vats, presses and numerous pipes associated with this complex, but the remains themselves had never previously been uncovered. Their discovery adds another layer to a site that has been repeatedly transformed over nearly two millennia.
A new chapter for the Bayeux Tapestry
The archaeological excavations were possible because of a €38-million redevelopment of the Bayeux Tapestry Museum. The former Grand Seminary is being renovated, while a new building will be constructed alongside it to house the Tapestry itself. The project will also expand the museum’s presentation of the historical, cultural and artistic world of medieval Europe.
When the museum reopens in October 2027, the nearly 70-metre-long embroidery will be displayed on an inclined table inside a new purpose-built gallery, intended to provide improved conditions for both visitors and the conservation of the nearly 1,000-year-old work.
The museum’s closure has also provided an unusual opportunity for the Tapestry to travel. It is now in London for a major exhibition at the British Museum opening on 10 September. The loan marks the first time the Tapestry has been displayed in Britain.
After the exhibition, the Bayeux Tapestry will eventually return to a museum that looks very different from the one it left. By then, archaeologists will also know considerably more about the site itself, where evidence of Roman infrastructure, medieval craftsmen and religious communities, and centuries of later activity has survived beneath the former home of one of the Middle Ages’ most famous works.
Top Image: Aerial view of the wine press building of the Grand Seminary of Bayeux (19th century). © Arnaud Poirier – ARPANUM.
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