Autricum

Autricum was the name of a city of the Carnutes, considered generally as their capital, located at the site of the current town of Chartres, in the valley of the the Eure ( Atura in Gallic) from where it drew its name. The city and its area were a center of most important of the Gallic religion.

The Gallic city

Autricum - that César never quotes - was identified with Chartres thanks to the Table of Peutinger (which in estropie besides the name) and passes for the capital of Carnutes, because it is it which inherits the name of the city at the Lower Empire. Whereas Cenabum (the current town of Orleans) left archaeological traces , epigraphic and literary indisputable, are not identified for first Gallic Autricum, that parts of the ditch of the Oppidum, and two sectors of occupation. It is still not known well if it is necessary to think of an establishment more or less strengthened on the spur which carries the cathedral today, or if it were about a “oppidum of valley”, bound to the river and perhaps to the Batellerie. By the Eure, Carnutes were to communicate with the basin of the the Seine, the Gaulle Belgium and undoubtedly the Brittany.

At all events, of many indices show that the center of the country carnute was rather distant from Cenabum. In the same way, the relations of Carnutes with the other people seem to privilege is and north (the Sénons, the Rèmes…) rather than the south where the Bituriges, allies narrow of the Éduens, have the appearances of enemies rather). For the trade as for the policy, Autricum-Chartres probably played a part much more important than the gap of the sources does not make it possible to establish it.

The excavations of rescue currently in hand, in particular on the place of Scattered and the Chasles boulevard, bring important new knowledge on Autricum Gallo-Roman, and for the Gallic period put at the day a necropolis with incineration dated around the medium from Ier century before our era.

The annual meeting of the druids

It is thus presented in the Guerre of Gaules of Jules César:

Each year, with fixed date, they hold their bases in a devoted place, in the country of Carnutes, which passes to occupy the center of Gaulle. There, of all shares all those flow which have disagreements, and they are subjected to their decisions and their stops.

The Gallo-Roman period

Taken by César towards 52-51 before Jesus-Christ, the Gallo-Roman city was called Autricum or civitas Carnotum ( quoted of Carnutes ). The excavations with the site of the Markets indicated the remainders of a Roman road of 9 m width, with Gallo-Roman houses of the same type as those discovered on the Pasteur site in Chartres. The traces of old a Gallo-Roman Amphithéâtre on the slope of the plate were directly discovered under the church of Saint-Andrew which one finds vestiges in the walls of the one of the Crypte S. Of the remainders of two aqueducts were also discovered side of the north of the plate and a forum probably located in the current street Sainte Therese. The city was fed out of water by these two aqueducts. Two Gallo-Roman cemeteries extend in the North-West and the sections from south-east from the ancient city, and others probably in south-west (Bedon et al. 1988).

Streets

Excavations in the center town of Chartres brought innovative elements on the urban organization of this large capital of the Gaulle Roman, her rate/rhythm of urbanization and the modifications of the social status of one of its districts.

The streets are empierrées and consist of fine gravels of Silex, bordered of ditches of drainage, of gutters then some 2,40 m broad pavements, limited by walls which were to be covered by gantry S. Of the drains of water supply out of wood were installed on the margins of the roadway. The unit were broad of 11,20 Mr. Along the street, of the pieces of a width of 10,50 m were engagaient in-depth in the heart of the small islands. They were occupied by Maison S.

In the central part of the small island, a small building was built at the beginning of Ier S. Its orientation NORTH-SOUTH lets think that it is about a sanctuary. There remains in its plan until in the current of IIIe S.

Districts

During first half of IIe S, districts were devastated by a fire. what caused an important reorganization of the city. Pieces are joined together in order to build two houses of notable there.

Vastest (at least 30 m X 45 m) was built on broad built walls and organized themselves around a court. The second is largely built with light materials, like partitions in wood sides, around a small court with gantry. During a repair campaign of masonries, one of the parts is decorated of a large illustrated scene comprising at least an imperial representation, signs attachment of the owner towards Rome, found in Fouille.

A new fire devastates the district in the current of IIIe S. space is again occupied in a more sporadic way but the vestiges of the occupation of Bottom Empire (IVe S.) were largely destroyed by the posterior activities.

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