• The Celts zn France -

8888 Unenclosed village

~ at Les Arenes

"...----,

O

Oppidum of the Les Arenes ,/ I

eolline des Tours. ,/ \

The contour • ,;) "'0 (f\ , ~...-,/ l

depicts that part r----:.,.....----) ( \

of the summit I {/ [' -\ (

which exceeds / \

170 m.,..-/ /) \

(/ 0

\ (---.. /

II11111 Position oflater Roman town / /1

'--/

o I^1 km I

Figure 29.8 Successive relocations of the settlement at Levroux (Indre), after Biichsenschiitz.
Unenclosed settlement of middle/early Late (i.e. C/Dr) La Tene date at Les Arenes; oppidum
of the Colline des Tours; Roman town.

East-central Gaul is constantly mentioned in Caesar's text. It is where most of
the oppida he names were located, where his allies were based, and also where the final
act of the conquest was enacted. It would not have been possible to control the
Germans, Belgae and Bretons for long, as they were tough fighters in battle and elusive
on their own territories, if the east-central tribal territories (civitates), which were
already partially integrated into the Mediterranean economy and heading towards
urbanization, had not already been brought into line with the Roman political will.

571