Ongoing archaeological investigations
The removal of the mosaics meant that the once-inaccessible residential section could be included in the stratigraphic approach that was used in other parts of the villa. The in situ presentation of the restored mosaics was debated in light of the conservation of earlier stages of the villa (pre-5th century CE). A six-month archaeological campaign in 1988 by a team of professionals provided an opportunity to study the villa over the long term, from the early Gallo-Roman farm to the abandonment of the site at the dawn of the Middle Ages.
Starting in 1989, Christophe Pellecuer – by then a cultural heritage officer – expanded the study to include the estate itself, in order to understand the changes in land use in the vicinity of the villa. The Sainte-Cécile excavation (1989–90) provided a view of the hinge period between two major forms of habitation in Languedoc, from the villa to the village. Questions about the estate's economy led to a reopening of excavations in the villa, and the exploration of the wine-making installations (1992–94). The Bourbou campaign (1995–98) was crucial in providing a complete understanding of how production on the estate was organised, and for mapping the changes in a watershed that was used in the context of a large structural ensemble. When work to refurbish the villa site began in 1999, the resulting case study became a master's thesis and was used as the basis for the upcoming museum project.