L’oppidum fortifié de Corent

The volcanic plateau at Corent, located some 15 km from Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France), has become well-known since the early 2000s for the importance of its Neolithic to Iron Age occupation evidence; this has already given rise to several publications. This volume focuses more specifically on the three fortification systems recently discovered as part of a large-scale examination of the site undertaken between 2018 and 2021. Taking evidence obtained during earlier excavations into consideration, these structures can be directly linked to major settlements identified on the plateau and dating to the Middle Neolithic (3rd millennium BC), Late Bronze Age (10th-9th centuries BC) and Late la Tѐne period (2nd-1st centuries BC). Architectural analysis of the structural remains and study of their associated material culture, informed by comparisons at a regional and European
scale, provide an insight into the evolution of the defensive systems adopted for this site at different periods. Setting this evidence into context permits an overview of the successive occupation evidence identified from the Neolithic until the end of the Roman period. Contrasting the evidence recovered from the oppidum of Corent with that from other fortified settlements near Clermont-Ferrand also provides the opportunity to examine the links between late Iron Age Corent and the neighbouring sites of Gondole and Gergovia. The problem of identifying the capital of the Arverni in the 1st century B.C. and its involvement in the events described by Caesar at the end of the Gallic War leads to a fresh assessment, underpinned by the results of recent excavations, which melds both archaeological and historical data. Widening the framework, it also leads to a new consideration of late Iron Age urbanism, here envisaged as being far from confined within the ramparts of the oppida, but rather dependent on geography as well as on the enduring memory of landscape inhabitation across the longue durée.

With the collaboration and contributions of : Lucie d’Aguanno, Ambrine Bouchène, William Buttler, Nicolas Cayré, Candice Chany, Florian Couderc, Bertrand Dousteyssier, Nicolas Dubreu, Hélène Duchamp, Thomas Eydaleine, Julien Guillemoteau, Eloïse Guyon, Katherine Gruel, Romain Lauranson, Anaïs Lecêtre, Sylvain Mader, Antoine Meiraud, Pierre-Yves Milcent, Audrey Pranyies, Rémy Ranouil, David Romeuf, Louis-Marie Sanial Aujard Catot, François-Xavier Simon, Alyssa Turgis, Manon Vallée, Franck Vautier.

summary :

PRÉFACES

CHAPITRE I. INTRODUCTION

CHAPITRE II. CONTEXTE

CHAPITRE III. LES FORTIFICATIONS DE CORENT : ENJEUX ET PROBLÉMATIQUE

CHAPITRE IV. LES OPÉRATIONS DE FOUILLE (2017-2021)

CHAPITRE V. L’ENCEINTE DU NÉOLITHIQUE MOYEN

CHAPITRE VI. LE REMPART DU BRONZE FINAL

CHAPITRE VII. LES REMPARTS DE LA TÈNE FINALE

CHAPITRE VIII. CONCLUSION GÉNÉRALE

POSTFACE

BIBLIOGRAPHIE

ANNEXE