Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains
MonumentHidden Treasure
Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains, located in Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault (Maine-et-Loire), is a ancient remains built in Antiquity. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Antiquity
- Location
- Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.3053, -0.1619
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00109047
Perché sur un éperon rocheux dominant la Loire, le Camp des Romains est l'un des rares oppida gallo-romains du Maine-et-Loire, vestige saisissant d'une occupation protohistorique au cœur du Val de Loire.
History
Overlooking the Loire Valley from the heights of Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, the Camp des Romains is much more than just an archaeological site: it's a window onto the earliest forms of urban development in ancient Anjou. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1987, this protohistoric oppidum bears witness to continuous human occupation dating back to the Iron Age, then intensified in the Gallo-Roman period around the turn of the 1st century AD. What makes this site truly unique is the subtle way in which it blends into the landscape. Unlike the great medieval fortresses that flaunt their power, the oppidum is revealed gradually, through the slopes, the ditches cut into the tufa rock and the defensive lines that naturally follow the relief. The rocky spur, naturally protected on three sides by steep slopes, provided the Gallic populations with an ideal strategic position from which to monitor river traffic and control the Loire route. A visit to the Roman Camp is as much a contemplative experience as it is an archaeological one. Walking along the paths that run alongside the earthen ramparts and partially preserved sections of the murus gallicus, visitors are invited to reconstruct in their minds the bustle of a fortified town: warehouses, craftsmen's workshops, living quarters and places of worship. The vegetation - oak groves and dense bushes - adds an almost mysterious atmosphere that contrasts with the brightness of the banks of the Loire visible below. The natural setting is itself an attraction for visitors. Part of the remarkable Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault heritage sequence - between the Cunault priory and the troglodytic caves on the hillside - the site is one of the wildest and least frequented loops in the Loire Valley. For lovers of archaeology, rambling or landscape photography, it's an essential stop-off away from the mass tourist flows.
Architecture
The Roman camp has the typological characteristics of a medium-sized oppidum, such as one might find in the greater Gallic west. Its layout took advantage of the geomorphology of the limestone plateau: the spur, which was naturally bounded by steep slopes, needed to be artificially closed off, only on its most vulnerable access side, by a system of frontal ramparts combined with one or more forebay ditches. The defences built were based on the murus gallicus technique, typical of Celtic military architecture in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. This type of rampart combines an internal framework of oak beams pegged together with iron bars, a filling of earth and stones, and an external facing of dressed limestone blocks. These structures were usually 4 to 6 metres high, giving the site an imposing silhouette visible from the Loire below. Local building materials - the white tufa typical of the Loire Valley - were used extensively. Within the fortified perimeter, the total surface area of the site, estimated at several hectares, was home to a structured spatial organisation: storage areas, metallurgical workshops and dwellings made of perishable materials, the traces of which on the ground still bear witness to the intense activity that reigned there. The Roman phases undoubtedly introduced hard construction elements - terracotta tiles, lime mortar - fragments of which can still be found during surface prospecting.
Related Figures
Jules César — dont la conquête de la Gaule (58-51 av. J.-C.) a directement conditionné l'évolution du siteLes Andécaves — peuple gaulois de l'Anjou antique, bâtisseurs et occupants de l'oppidum à l'âge du FerDumnacus — chef andécave ayant résisté aux Romains en 51 av. J.-C., figure emblématique de la résistance gauloise en AnjouLes antiquaires angevins du XIXe siècle — érudits locaux qui ont documenté et préservé la mémoire du site avant les premières fouilles modernes
Tags
Nearby castles
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains located?
Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains is located in Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, Maine-et-Loire department, Pays de la Loire region, France.
When was Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains built?
Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains dates back to a period built during Antiquity.
Is Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains open to visitors?
Oppidum protohistorique dit Camp des Romains is currently closed to visitors.
