You are here: Places to go > Prehistory and Ancient history
From Palaeolithic times men have lived in Burgundy. There are four major sites from this era :
· The caves at Arcy-sur-Cure were first used for shelter by Neanderthal hunters and then by Cro-Magnon men.
· Azé en Mâconnais has an archaeological museum associated with two caves, one of which has a river running through it.
· Solutré is the most famous prehistoric site with over 100,000 horse skeletons unearthed there.
· The caves at Blanot have also been the subject of archaeological digs resulting in the discovery of a range of prehistoric material – flint tools, fragments of bear skeletons, etc
Gauls and Romans :
Over 2,000 years ago the final, decisive battles in the Roman conquest of Gaul took place in Burgundy. Opposing Julius Caesar and his mighty army stood a young Celtic nobleman : Vercingetorix.
There are two great sites to visit if you wish to find out more about Gaul in the time of Vercingetorix :
· Bibracte : Celtic civilisation research centre www.bibracte.fr
· Alesia : the site pays tribute to the Gallic chieftain – Museum, archaeological dig www.alesia.com
Add to my road book
