L’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en Gaule
The planned extension of the Pâtis quarry in Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique, France) occasioned an archaeological assessment followed by a preventive excavation in the summer of 2020, covering an area of around 2 ha.The main occupation phase revealed on the site corresponds to what has been identifi...
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CNRS Éditions
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Gallia |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/gallia/8727 |
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| author | Yann Dufay-Garel Marie Grall Sandrine Paradis-Grenouillet Rémy Wassong |
| author_facet | Yann Dufay-Garel Marie Grall Sandrine Paradis-Grenouillet Rémy Wassong |
| author_sort | Yann Dufay-Garel |
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| description | The planned extension of the Pâtis quarry in Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique, France) occasioned an archaeological assessment followed by a preventive excavation in the summer of 2020, covering an area of around 2 ha.The main occupation phase revealed on the site corresponds to what has been identified as a monumental complex dating from the second period of the Iron Age. It is delimited by a large, perfectly square enclosure measuring 83 m along each side and covering an area of around 6000 m2. Set on the edge of a plateau sloping slightly to the south and east, the enclosure stands 8 m above a small alluvial valley immediately to the south of its southern face. The enclosure has two entrances, located opposite each other at the centre of its east and west sides, which were probably accessed via footbridges over the ditch. The western porch, supported by four posts, was the main entrance to the site, complemented by a gate on the eastern side.Perfectly centred within the enclosure, a building with a courtyard and peripheral galleries was uncovered. It is set in a 46 m square with a surface area of 2200 m2. The building is made up of four wings forming interconnected galleries, enclosed by a perimeter wall and possibly open on the courtyard side. The construction of the building’s load-bearing structure is homogeneous, with no signs of repair. It consists of three lines of posts along each wing, forming two naves, divided into nine bays by ten rows of three posts. The building was accessed via two imposing gates located in the centre of its western and eastern wings, in line with the entrances to the enclosure. The centre of the courtyard was occupied by a large building with four supporting posts comprising around one hundred square metres of floor space.The monument is perfectly regular in both proportions and measurements. This regularity suggests a coherent and preplanned architectural programme. The study demonstrated the existence of a modular and proportional system in the design of the monument, as well as the use of a measuring standard.The site was dated on the basis of very small quantities of ceramics and a series of ten radiocarbon dates. While the artefacts attest to settlement during the late La Tène period, the radiocarbon analyses raise questions as they point to an earlier period. We therefore advance the hypothesis that the foundation dates from before this period, probably sometime in the 3rd century BC. As for the abandonment of the complex, the absence of finds consistent with La Tène D2 suggests that occupancy ended in the course of La Tène D1.This exceptional complex is one of a small number of courtyard buildings and peripheral galleries uncovered in Gaul over the past thirty years, the most notable of which are Bibracte PC 15 and Trégueux. Interpretations of the function of these buildings are diverse and the subject of much debate (sanctuaries, market halls, etc.). Although the exact function of the Vieillevigne monument has not yet been established, it can undoubtedly be seen as a public complex, or at least a complex used for collective purposes.After a probable hiatus of more than a century, the enclosure was reoccupied in the 1st century AD, most probably in the last third of that century. This occupation, the nature of which remains undetermined, is indicated by the presence of roman artifacts in the uppermost layers of the ditches, particularly on the western side of the enclosure. Inside, a shallow well in the north-western corner is the only vestige attributed to this phase of occupancy.Once the enclosure had been definitively abandoned, a road running north-west-south-east was laid. In the absence of any characteristic artefacts, the road has not been precisely dated, but its stratigraphic relationship with the enclosure indicates that it was constructed after the latter was abandoned, i.e. at the end of the 1st century AD at the earliest. At the western end of the excavation, two ditches join the road. They define a parcel of land to the west, extending beyond the limits of the excavated area.Little is known about the archaeological environment of the Vieillevigne monumental complex. However, the results of assessments conducted some 100 m to the west indicate that it was not isolated. Initial evidence points to the existence of Gallic occupation preceding a Roman sanctuary. In view of the contexts in which other courtyard complexes have been found in Gaul, it is likely that it corresponds to the remains of a high-status settlement, probably an agglomeration or aristocratic residence. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aa916f38dfb44afebbff002046cd0a60 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0016-4119 2109-9588 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-aa916f38dfb44afebbff002046cd0a602025-02-05T15:47:28ZengCNRS ÉditionsGallia0016-41192109-95882024-12-018173110.4000/124apL’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en GauleYann Dufay-GarelMarie GrallSandrine Paradis-GrenouilletRémy WassongThe planned extension of the Pâtis quarry in Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique, France) occasioned an archaeological assessment followed by a preventive excavation in the summer of 2020, covering an area of around 2 ha.The main occupation phase revealed on the site corresponds to what has been identified as a monumental complex dating from the second period of the Iron Age. It is delimited by a large, perfectly square enclosure measuring 83 m along each side and covering an area of around 6000 m2. Set on the edge of a plateau sloping slightly to the south and east, the enclosure stands 8 m above a small alluvial valley immediately to the south of its southern face. The enclosure has two entrances, located opposite each other at the centre of its east and west sides, which were probably accessed via footbridges over the ditch. The western porch, supported by four posts, was the main entrance to the site, complemented by a gate on the eastern side.Perfectly centred within the enclosure, a building with a courtyard and peripheral galleries was uncovered. It is set in a 46 m square with a surface area of 2200 m2. The building is made up of four wings forming interconnected galleries, enclosed by a perimeter wall and possibly open on the courtyard side. The construction of the building’s load-bearing structure is homogeneous, with no signs of repair. It consists of three lines of posts along each wing, forming two naves, divided into nine bays by ten rows of three posts. The building was accessed via two imposing gates located in the centre of its western and eastern wings, in line with the entrances to the enclosure. The centre of the courtyard was occupied by a large building with four supporting posts comprising around one hundred square metres of floor space.The monument is perfectly regular in both proportions and measurements. This regularity suggests a coherent and preplanned architectural programme. The study demonstrated the existence of a modular and proportional system in the design of the monument, as well as the use of a measuring standard.The site was dated on the basis of very small quantities of ceramics and a series of ten radiocarbon dates. While the artefacts attest to settlement during the late La Tène period, the radiocarbon analyses raise questions as they point to an earlier period. We therefore advance the hypothesis that the foundation dates from before this period, probably sometime in the 3rd century BC. As for the abandonment of the complex, the absence of finds consistent with La Tène D2 suggests that occupancy ended in the course of La Tène D1.This exceptional complex is one of a small number of courtyard buildings and peripheral galleries uncovered in Gaul over the past thirty years, the most notable of which are Bibracte PC 15 and Trégueux. Interpretations of the function of these buildings are diverse and the subject of much debate (sanctuaries, market halls, etc.). Although the exact function of the Vieillevigne monument has not yet been established, it can undoubtedly be seen as a public complex, or at least a complex used for collective purposes.After a probable hiatus of more than a century, the enclosure was reoccupied in the 1st century AD, most probably in the last third of that century. This occupation, the nature of which remains undetermined, is indicated by the presence of roman artifacts in the uppermost layers of the ditches, particularly on the western side of the enclosure. Inside, a shallow well in the north-western corner is the only vestige attributed to this phase of occupancy.Once the enclosure had been definitively abandoned, a road running north-west-south-east was laid. In the absence of any characteristic artefacts, the road has not been precisely dated, but its stratigraphic relationship with the enclosure indicates that it was constructed after the latter was abandoned, i.e. at the end of the 1st century AD at the earliest. At the western end of the excavation, two ditches join the road. They define a parcel of land to the west, extending beyond the limits of the excavated area.Little is known about the archaeological environment of the Vieillevigne monumental complex. However, the results of assessments conducted some 100 m to the west indicate that it was not isolated. Initial evidence points to the existence of Gallic occupation preceding a Roman sanctuary. In view of the contexts in which other courtyard complexes have been found in Gaul, it is likely that it corresponds to the remains of a high-status settlement, probably an agglomeration or aristocratic residence.https://journals.openedition.org/gallia/8727 |
| spellingShingle | Yann Dufay-Garel Marie Grall Sandrine Paradis-Grenouillet Rémy Wassong L’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en Gaule Gallia |
| title | L’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en Gaule |
| title_full | L’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en Gaule |
| title_fullStr | L’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en Gaule |
| title_full_unstemmed | L’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en Gaule |
| title_short | L’ensemble monumental du Pâtis à Vieillevigne (Loire-Atlantique) : un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour laténien en Gaule |
| title_sort | l ensemble monumental du patis a vieillevigne loire atlantique un nouvel exemple de complexe sur cour latenien en gaule |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/gallia/8727 |
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