Gallic towns & cities

[Keith McNelly]

Hi,

I am currently reading Sampson's "Rome Spreads Her Wings Territorial Expansion Between the Punic Wars".

In the section on the covering the defeat of the Boii (in Cisalpine Gaul) and campaigns against the Insurbrians several engagements focus on the sieges of cities. Acerrae is described as "favourably placed and well walled" by Zonaras while their capital of Mediolanum (Milan) was "built on the ruins of the Etruscan city of Melpium."

Do we have any idea how the buildings of these Gallic cities (and towns in general) were constructed? How were the defences constructed? Did they have for example stone buildings and walls or were they surrounded by wooden stockades?

I am of course pondering ideas for gaming.

[Patrick Waterson]

Caesar has a section on the subject (from thje siege of Avaricum):

But this is usually the form of all the Gallic walls. Straight beams, connected lengthwise and two feet distant from each other at equal intervals, are placed together on the ground; these are mortised on the inside, and covered with plenty of earth. But the intervals which we have mentioned, are closed up in front by large stones. These being thus laid and cemented together, another row is added above, in such a manner, that the same interval may be observed, and that the beams may not touch one another, but equal spaces intervening, each row of beams is kept firmly in its place by a row of stones. In this manner the whole wall is consolidated, until the regular height of the wall be completed. This work, with respect to appearance and variety, is not unsightly, owing to the alternate rows of beams and stones, which preserve their order in right lines; and, besides, it possesses great advantages as regards utility and the defense of cities; for the stone protects it from fire, and the wood from the battering ram, since it [the wood] being mortised in the inside with rows of beams, generally forty feet each in length, can neither be broken through nor torn asunder. - Gallic War VII.23

Assuming the same architectural conditions prevailed elsewhere, Gallic walls would have the same 'not unsightly' appearance with flush or protruding beam ends emerging from a wall of 'large stones'.

Gauls could also build improvised stone walls, as at Gergovia; in this case, Caesar says nothing about reinforcing beams. Large stones were still a characteristic feature.

The town wall was 1200 paces distant from the plain and foot of the ascent, in a straight line, if no gap intervened; whatever circuit was added to this ascent, to make the hill easy, increased the length of the route. But almost in the middle of the hill, the Gauls had previously built a wall six feet high, made of large stones, and extending in length as far as the nature of the ground permitted, as a barrier to retard the advance of our men; and leaving all the lower space empty, they had filled the upper part of the hill, as far as the wall of the town, with their camps very close to one another. - Gallic War VII.46

Caesar also refers to the Gauls under Vercingetorix 'fortifying' their camps for the first time (Gallic War VII.30) but says nothing about large stones for this purpose, so we might assume a Roman-style rampart and palisade.

[Erpingham]

On the basis of reused Etruscan cities, you might note what wikipedia has to say about Etruscan walls

Etruscan cities, which often sat on hill-tops, became walled from about the 8th century, first in mud-brick, then often in stone. <>
The stonework is often of fine quality, sometimes using regular rectangular blocks in a rough ashlar, and sometimes "cyclopeian", using large polygonal blocks, partly shaped to fit each other, somewhat in the manner of the well-known Inca masonry, though not reaching that level of quality. Gaps are left, which are filled in with much smaller stones.


There are numerous examples of these foundations on the internet.

[dwkay57]

I've recently started reading Greeks, Romans and Barbarians - Spheres of Interaction by Barry Cunliffe.

Whilst the book (so far - I'm only on page 51) concentrates on the economic trading there is quite a bit of information about the trading centres including descriptions and in some places plans.
So far there does seem to be a fair amount of considerable defences for the major towns (especially in southern Gaul), probably developed from the initial contact with the Greeks and other earlier trading civilisations.

Alice Roberts' book The Celts also suggests that we might be wrong to assume that British hill forts were the norm for European celtic settlements, especially to the south of the Alps - Heuneburg being an exception.

[Keith McNelly]

Thanks gentlemen for your replies and suggestions. Much appreciated.