Extraction of silver-bearing lead
The first-century geographer Strabo mentioned the presence of silver mines on Gabales territory. The area of the Park is home to several mines operated from Antiquity onwards (Villefort, Le Bleymard). The best-known ancient mine works are at Le Bleymard (Cubières, Mas d’Orcières), between the hamlets of Neyrac and Le Mazel. They are characterised by a sub-surface mining network (galleries, wells, rooms with pillars). Tools (chisels, wedges) and furniture (oil lamps, pottery) have been found here.
Earthenware workshops
Two Gallo-Roman workshops producing earthenware goods (pottery, tiles) have been found in this area. A pottery workshop was discovered in 1965 at “Le Pont du Tarn”, the confluence of the Tarn and Tarnon in Florac. A tilers’ workshop was excavated at La Croix-de-Berthel (Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon) in the 1980s.
Exploitation of forests
The region’s forests, particularly those on the Great Causses (Sauveterre, Méjean) and the Cévennes/Mont Lozère, were widely used in Antiquity for a number of purposes: producing timber (for wood crafts, construction, mine supports); producing fuel (for metallurgy, earthenware, heating); and manufacturing pitch.