The banner represents a head of auroch: Species of wild bull, probable ancestor of the current cattle, now extinct and also called "ox urus" and "ure". With about two meters at the withers, the auroch had a larger size than the current breeds of cattle. Historical note on the period When we speak of the Gauls, we immediately think of Vercingetorix who was named chief of the Avernae in 52 BC and died in prison in Rome in 46 BC, well after the Middle Taen village presented at Mont Cornu. This period is the apogee of the Celtic culture. In 386 BC, the Romans were defeated by the Senons on the Allia. 30 000 Celts led by Brennus ransomed Rome. The Celtic civilization of the Tenes reaches the Balkans, Greece (capture of Delphi in -270), Asia Minor (Galatians in -275), the whole of Gaul (between the Garonne and the Seine, -500), Italy, Spain (Celtiberians -500) This period is characterized by changes in many areas: - the Habitat: the open sites are more numerous and a new type appears, the oppidum (fortified agglomeration), - the activities: the iron metallurgy develops. - The appearance of money - the passage from burial to cremation also translates into changes in the field of mentalities, Gaul, on the eve of the Roman conquest, is a country of alternating forests, cultivated plains, hedgerows and fortified cities, criss-crossed by roads, some of which are paved with stones, and therefore a densely developed space, far from the clichés bequeathed by past historians.
Before entering the first village, we can see enclosures for sheep and pigs. Each village had its own garden; this one is composed of ancient vegetables and cereals, beans and lentils... The Gauls were good farmers.
CARNOBRIGA
– 5 Important point, for the Gallic villages "the portico", the triumphal arch, the cult of the cut head. Each village had a portico made of trunks cut with an adze on which could be exposed the heads of important people, warriors, or enemies, but also animal heads.
Presqu'île cultuelle : In each village there was a place of worship, it is represented on the peninsula of the pond with the goddess Sequana. The Gauls had several gods often linked to the seasons and nature.
The Collective Attic: It is a habitat built of raw wood trunks on stilts, in order to protect the reserve and the "pantry" from rodents. The roof is made of oak shingles, supported by hazelnut branches tied with sisal (string). The walls are trellised with alder boards. It was mainly used to store wheat, rye...
House annex : The house is designed to accommodate a family of 4 to 6 people.The floor is made of clay, the roof is made of thatch and its made of clay and vegetation for waterproofing. The walls are made of cob (mixing straw, water and clay).The particularity of the Gallic house: it has no window. A single room: with a place for the meal, a straw mattress placed near the fireplace on the ground, with an opening in the roof for the evacuation of the smoke (which could be closed in winter by animal skins). The frame is made of debarked rough wood and is made of mortise and tenon joints. This type of assembly is solid, reliable and can do without fasteners (screws, nails, dowels...). On the right, you can see the outline of a loom.
Weaving and leather workshops : In these open-air workshops the craftsmen worked and sold their products.
The big house of the Gallic chief: This house is much larger than the one we have just discovered, it was occupied by noble people (chief of the village) who had servants. What is remarkable for this house is its height with an impressive structure of frame. It had a floor on the first floor which served as an attic. You will also notice that the two central posts are placed on shale, unlike the external posts inserted in the ground, the reason is that during the archaeological excavations no trace of these central posts was found.
Forge workshop: Each village represented at the Mont Cornu has its own forge, because in the Ardennes, metallurgy has been omnipresent throughout the ages. The Gauls were very good blacksmiths. For the anecdote, in spite of the help of tools and digital techniques, it was very difficult to reproduce a very worked shield discovered during archaeological excavations. The roof of the forge is made of oak shingles and alder for the awning.Note the presence of a counter that could be used to sell manufactured products.
Workshop and house of the Gallic potter: The Gauls were very good craftsmen; pottery was made by hand with a wheel driven by hand or by foot (wheel).
Lower furnace: A low furnace is planned for the forge's castings.
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