- Chapter Twenty-Four -
Figure 24.3 General plan of the structures of the sanctuary at Gournay-sur-Aronde. (After
Brunaux 1988.)
latter, constructed c.30 Be, was of [anum form (Brunaux et al. 1980, 1985; Brunaux
1988 ).
Ditches serving as repositories for weapons, tools, and animal and human bone,
associated with a central arrangement of pits which later saw structural formaliza-
tion, occur at other Oise sites. These include St-Maur (Brunaux and Lambot 1991:
178) and Vendeuil-Caply (Piton and Dilly: 1985: 27-33) (Figure 24.4). At St-Maur,
ritual activity commenced later than at Gournay, in c.250 Be.
Many variations on the Gournay pattern are known, even within Belgic Gaul.
At some sites assemblages are characterized less by weapons than by jewellery;
examples here are Estn!es-St-Denis, Vendeuil-Caply and Morviller-St-Saturnin.
Equally, certain sites, such as Estrees-St-Denis and Montmartin, are less clearly
demarcated from their associated settlements than are others in the Belgic group.
A number of sites produce a high proportion of human bone. Among these is
Ribemont-sur-Ancre (Somme), 50 km from Gournay. An iron age cult area was
discovered here, near the principal temple of a vast Gallo-Roman cult complex.
Over 200 long bones (mainly human, but also of horses) had been used to form a