Fouille en aire ouverte d’un rempart brûlé halstattien

Posed since the 18th century, the problem of the exposure of the stone rubble ramparts of the Iron-age forts to excessively high temperatures of up to 1250°C is still not completely resolved: if the theory of the destructive fire (laid down by the attackers) resulting in the vitrification of the walls is now generally accepted, it leaves unanswered the question of the strength of the wind draft required to generate temperatures attained by the conflagration. For the first time in this context, the open excavation method was used to reveal a wall constructed of wooden posts. The analyses and tests show: (1) timber lacing used in the construction of the rampart are untouched by the conflagration but evidence of fire, which layout can be discerned, are located in the covered way (‘chemin de ronde’); (2) evidence of fire, lasting several days, which has burnt furiously and has been slow to cool dawn; (3) superstructures of various designs: long stripes then circular hearts of which one of the most intensive, at a strategic angle, suggest a structure of several meters high; (4) unfortunately no superstructures are implanted in the body of the rampart, depriving us of additional evidence.