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This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. The Oppida of Western France an archaeological and proto-historical approach Erin Osborne-Martin MPhil University of Edinburgh 2014 1 Abstract Oppida are mostly commonly defined as large (measuring c. 15ha or more) hillfort settlements dating to the late La Tène which can be found across temperate Europe. They are often discussed as a single, relatively homogenous site-type, though more recent research has recognised greater variation between oppida at the regional and even local level. Oppida have been described as central places, as urban or proto-urban settlements, and as indicators of state formation. This thesis will examine the archaeological evidence from two regions of western France (Brittany and Aquitaine) during the late La Tène in order to assess how well the large enclosed sites in these areas fit with our definitions of oppida. The name oppidum itself is a Latin word meaning ‘town’ and was used throughout ancient texts such as Julius Caesar’s De Bello Gallico to describe the settlements that he encountered during his military campaigns in Gaul. These texts have inspired generations of archaeologists to search for the physical reality behind the historical documents. As such, this thesis also investigates the Greek and Roman sources in order to determine what settlement descriptors such as oppidum, vicus, and aedificium would have meant to the authors and audiences of the time and how that information provides a helpful context for archaeological investigation. This cumulated evidence is then gathered together in order to explore the role and significance of the oppida of western France within their contemporary social structures. 2 Acknowledgements I am indebted beyond repayment to Professor Ian Ralston for his endless patience and support. I would not have been able to see this light at the end of a very long tunnel without my good fortune in friends – in particular Shelly Werner, Philip Karsgaard, Jennifer Thoms, Mel Johnson and Vasiliki Koutrafouri. And of course thanks go also to my family, whose kind words and hearts have helped me through on countless occasions. These words, such as they are, are dedicated to the memories of my father, Bill Osborne, and my husband, Philip Martin, who together were my greatest encouragement and the source of much discussion and debate in the early stages of its creation. 3 Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 3 Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 9 1.1 What are the oppida?........................................................................................ 9 1.1.1 Archaeological characteristics of the oppida ................................................ 9 1.2 Central Place Theory ......................................................................................15 1.2.1 The marketing principle...........................................................................16 1.2.1 Solar vs dendritic central places ................................................................16 1.2.2 Oppida as central places ...........................................................................16 1.3 Hierarchy and heterarchy ................................................................................18 1.4 Oppida and urbanisation .................................................................................19 1.4.1 Max Weber and The City ........................................................................20 1.4.2 Gordon Childe and the Urban Revolution ................................................20 1.4.3 Sjoberg’s Preindustrial City ......................................................................23 1.4.4 Oppida and urbanisation .........................................................................24 1.4.5 The origins of the oppida .........................................................................25 1.4.6 A wrong step in urbanisation?..................................................................26 1.4.7 Lowland and upland oppida .....................................................................27 1.5 Aims and Methods .........................................................................................29 1.5.1 Geography ..............................................................................................29 1.5.2 Selection of sites ......................................................................................30 1.5.3 Site visits and excavations .........................................................................30 4 2. Oppida in Julius Caesar’s De Bello Gallico ............................................................31 2.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................31 2.2 The Influence of Caesar’s Texts on Archaeological Research.........................32 Napoleon III ....................................................................................................32 T Rice Holmes .................................................................................................33 Wheeler and Richardson ...................................................................................34 Carole Crumley................................................................................................35 Daphne Nash ...................................................................................................36 Colin Haselgrove ..............................................................................................37 2.3 Caesar’s Commentaries and Late La Tène Settlement ..................................38 Defence: Natural and Artificial .........................................................................39 Internal Layout ................................................................................................41 Politics and Leadership .....................................................................................43 Other Settlement Types ....................................................................................44 Settlement Hierarchy ........................................................................................47 Regional Considerations and Caesar’s Oppida ...................................................49 2.4 The use of urbs in Caesar’s Commentaries ...................................................51 2.5 Settlement Descriptions in Other Classical Authors .....................................55 Gallia Cisalpina ................................................................................................56 The Alpine Gauls .............................................................................................59 Gallia Comata ..................................................................................................61 Germania .........................................................................................................63 2.6 Conclusions ...............................................................................................64 3. Case Study: Armorica ...........................................................................................67 5 3.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................67 3.2 Inland oppida and large enclosed sites ..........................................................68 3.2.1 Huelgoat (Le Camp d’Artus), Finistère .....................................................69 3.2.2 Fougères, Landéan (Oppidum du Poulailler), Ille-et-Vilaine ......................71 3.2.3 Guégon, Josselin (Camp de Lescouais), Morbihan .....................................71 3.2.5 Oppidum d’Orange, Vieux-Vy-sur-Couesnon, Ille-et-Vilaine ....................72 3.2.4 Le Châtellier, Petit-Celland, Manche ........................................................73 3.2.7 Paule, Saint-Symphorien (Côtes d’Armor) ................................................73 3.2.6 Moulay, Mayenne....................................................................................77 3.2.8 Kergolvez, Quimper (Finistère) ................................................................79 3.3 Littoral oppida and large enclosed sites ........................................................79 3.3.1 Cité d’Alet, Saint-Symphorien (Ille-et-Vilaine) ..........................................80
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