La Graufesenque

A major Gallo-Roman pottery production center located 2 km from Millau in Aveyron, France, at the confluence of the rivers Tarn and Dourbie. Known in antiquity as Condatomagus (market of the confluent), it produced vast quantities of high-quality dark red terra sigillata pottery exported across the Western Roman Empire, reaching Germania, Greece, Syria, and Egypt. Production began under Augustus, peaked between 40 and 60 AD when it surpassed Italian competitors, and continued on a smaller scale until the 3rd century. Wood-burning kilns could hold up to 40,000 items per firing. The site's significance was first recognized in 1830 when a flood exposed a large kiln, and it was classified as a monument historique in 1995.