The Carolingian abbatial church of Saint-Philbert-de-Grandlieu. The materials

During the study of the abbey church of Saint-Philbert de Grandlieu, the apparent homogeneity of the masonry. in the chevet made stratigraphic reading particularly difficult. Further analyses of the materials were very useful for testing certain hypotheses based on observation on the site. Quarry stones, quoins, ashlar masonry, and bricks presented variations, sometimes significant ones, and also contributed to a better characterization of Carolingian building techniques. But it was the granulometric analysis of the aggregate of the mortars that helped most in defining the successive stages of construction, and suggested the association of certain masonries that were physically separated.