We have previously discussed the Crisis of the 3rd Century, that period of antiquity also known as the Anarchy of the 3rd Century because, for fifty years—from the assassination of Alexander Severus in 235 AD until the rise of Diocletian in 284—the Roman Empire was plunged into a destructive process that brought it to the […]
Gaul
Posted inIron Age Archaeology
Seated at the Bottom of Circular Pits: A Series of Atypical Iron Age Burials Discovered in Dijon
In the city of Dijon, France, recent archaeological excavations conducted on Turgot Street have unveiled a fascinating panorama of land-use transformations over the centuries. From a Gallic-era funerary site to its later conversion into agricultural land during the modern period, this location holds a rich history of cultural and social practices deserving of thorough exploration. […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Bronze Fragments That Allowed the Reconstruction of the Celtic Calendar
In November 1897, Alphonse Roux, a farmer, discovered what appeared to be a cloth bag, whose fibers had dissolved over time, buried about 30 centimeters underground while working in a field at a place called Verpoix in the municipality of Coligny (in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France). Inside, there were 550 bronze fragments. The pieces, […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Megalography Depicting a Rare Mythological Scene of Achilles and Bronze Statuettes Found in a Roman “Domus” in Reims
The urban organization of Durocortorum, the Gallo-Roman city now known as Reims in France, faithfully adhered to the principles of Roman urbanism. The city was divided into blocks bounded by streets arranged in an orthogonal grid converging at the forum, the nerve center of political and religious life. However, the areas farther from the city’s […]
Posted inAncient Rome
The Cadastre of Orange, the Roman Map Showing How Conquered Land Was Divided Among Settlers
The Cadastre of Orange is an ancient plan that shows the Roman centuriations (land distributions) that extended across the territory of the colony of Arausio (modern-day Orange in France) in Gallia Narbonensis, as well as across the territories of neighboring cities and colonies. Excavations carried out between 1949 and 1952 near the ancient theater of […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
An impressive Gallo-Roman lime kiln with a 4-meter diameter combustion chamber found in France
During the construction of a single-family house in the Opilias neighborhood of Donzère (France), archaeologists from Inrap discovered a perfectly preserved ancient Gallo-Roman lime kiln. This kiln is of the “corridor” type, of which fewer than thirty examples are known in Gaul and the Mediterranean during antiquity. The site occupation has been dated between the […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
How a Vase Became a Legend and Foundational Myth of France After the Fall of the Last Roman Stronghold in Gaul
Of all the things a tourist can see in the French town of Soissons (the Cathedral of Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasius, seven medieval abbeys, the 18th-century town hall, the arsenal housing the municipal museum…), the most curious is undoubtedly a monument to the fallen in Fernand-Marquigny Square, created by artist Guy Lartigue. One of […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Researchers Reconstruct Development of Roman Water Mills at Barbegal, the Largest Mechanical Power Concentration of Antiquity
Archaeologists often grapple with the challenge of piecing together the history of ancient structures from mere ruins. This was the case for the remnants of the Roman water mills in Barbegal, located in southern France and dating back to the 2nd century AD. This remarkable industrial complex featured 16 water wheels arranged in parallel rows—eight […]
Posted inAncient Rome
Kingdom of Soissons, the Last Roman Stronghold in Gaul that Survived Ten Years after the Fall of the Western Empire
In the tumultuous era of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, a small but significant domain known as the Kingdom of Soissons emerged. This territory, located in the northwest of Gaul, was successively led by three Roman generals: Aetius, Aegidius, and Syagrius, all holding the title of Magister Militum per Gallias (commander-in-chief of Roman […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
The Great Gallo-Roman Sanctuary of the Redones Unearthed in Rennes
In a recent archaeological excavation in the old Hôtel Dieu neighborhood in Rennes, archaeologists have discovered a large sanctuary. The discovery is part of the redevelopment of the site of the old Hôtel Dieu hospital. The sanctuary, dating from the 3rd century AD, was uncovered after the excavation of the north wall enclosing its courtyard, […]
