About the Eduens, the original Celtic inhabitants, and the subsequent Gallo-Romans who lived here, we know practically nothing.

Nonetheless there are several dolmens (right) and stone circles nearby which voke the presence of druids with their mysterious Celtic ceremonies and secret rites, and we may presume that a community of Gauls lived in the region.

In the same way, Gallo-Roman remains indicate plenty of activity in the area after the Roman conquest. For example, there is a Roman road at Châteauneuf, a Gallo-Roman villa at Thau, and the statue of a river goddess has been found at the junction of the rivers Ouche and Sirene. But there is no precise knowledge of the history of the  ‘Three Valleys’ before we come to the Merovingian era (c465 AD).

However, stone coffins pre-dating the Abbey have been found, indicating that the site was inhabited long before the construction of the monastery. 5