France

Uxellodunum

Iron Age oppidum in Lot, France

Location

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Historical Context

About

Uxellodunum is an Iron Age hill fort, or oppidum, located above the river Dordogne near the modern-day French village of Vayrac in the Lot department. This stronghold lay within the lands of the Cadurci tribe. According to Aulus Hirtius in his addendum to Julius Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, the last revolt against Rome's authority in Gaul occurred here, and was brutally punished. The Commentaries on the Gallic War describe Uxellodunum as being strongly fortified by its natural position, with a river dividing the valley below that almost surrounded the steep craggy mountain on which the citadel was built. The name apparently means "high fort"; "dun" is a Celtic word for fort, which is to be found in many place-names.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

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Siege of Uxellodunum

51 BC

Nineteenth-century location debate

19th century

Champollion-Figeac publication

1820

Official recognition by French Ministry of Culture

2001

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Storage Structures

Granaries
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Defensive Structures

FortressesDefensive WallsDitches
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Military Installations

Siege EquipmentWeapons DepotsBattlefields
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Water Management Features

Dams
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Domestic and Habitation Structures

Towns
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Environmental and Natural Features

Landscaped Earthworks
Knowledge Base

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Reference

Details

Country

France

Coordinates

44.95° N, 1.68° E