Bibracte, a Gaulish oppidum or fortified city, was the capital of the Aedui and one of the most important hillforts in Gaul. It was situated near modern Autun in Burgundy, France. The material culture of the Aedui corresponded to the Late Iron Age La Tène culture, An oppidum (pl: oppida) was Latin for the main settlement in any administrative area of the Roman Empire. ... A map of Gaul in the 1st century BC, showing the relative position of the Aedui tribe. ... The term hill fort is commonly used by archeologists to describe fortified enclosures located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. ... Map of Gaul circa 58 BC For Gaul after the Roman conquest, see Roman Gaul Gaul (Latin Gallia) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the... Autun is a town in the Saône-et-Loire département in Burgundy, France. ... Coat of arms of the 2nd duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks. ... In archaeology, culture refers to either of two separate but allied concepts: An archaeological culture is a pattern of similar artefacts and features found within a specific area over a limited period of time. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... The La Tène culture was an Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchatel in Switzerland, where a rich trove of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857. ...

In 58 BC, at the Battle of Bibracte, Julius Caesar's armies defeated the Helvetii 16 miles south of the fort. In 52 BC, at Bibracte Vercingetorix was proclaimed head of the Gaulish coalition. Again at Bibracte Julius Caesar, the victor at the battle of Alesia, completed dictating his Gallic Wars. A few decades after the Roman conquest of Gaul, Bibracte was abandoned in favour of Autun, 25 kilometres distant. Without a continuous settlement to disturb or efface the site, Bibracte remained for modern archaeology to rediscover. Bibracte was the capital of the Aedui in the Iron Age, one of the most important hillforts in Gaul. ... Gāius Jūlius Caesar (IPA: ;[1]), July 12 or July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... A map of Gaul showing the northern Alpine position of the Helvetii. ... Statue of Vercingetorix by Bartholdi, on Place de Jaude, in Clermont-Ferrand Vercingetorix (died 46 BC), chieftain of the Arverni, led the great Gallic war against Roman imperialism in 52 BC. His name in Gaulish means over-king of the marching men; the marching men would now be called infantry... Gāius Jūlius Caesar (IPA: ;[1]), July 12 or July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... Combatants Roman Republic Gallic Tribes Commanders Julius Caesar Vercingetorix Commius Strength ~55,000-60,000, 12 Roman legions and auxiliaries ~300,000 some 80,000 besieged ~100,000-250,000 (200,000) relief forces Casualties 7,800 160,000-200,000 The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia was... Combatants Roman Republic Gallic tribes, including Helvetii, Arvernii Commanders Julius Caesar Quintus Cicero Mark Antony Among others, Vercingetorix The Gallic Wars were a series of wars fought between the Romans and the people of Gaul during the mid-first century BC, culminating in the Battle of Alesia in 52 BC... Autun is a town in the Saône-et-Loire département in Burgundy, France. ...

The first excavations were begun at the site by the wine merchant Gabriel Bulliot between 1867 and 1895. His nephew Joseph Déchelette, author of a famous Manuel d'Archéologie continued the excavations between 1897 and 1907

Today Mont Beuvray is generally credited as the ancient Bibracte. The site straddles the borders of the French départements of Nièvre and Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy. The site is an archaeological park at the centre of a protected forest, and a site of cooperative European archeological efforts, a training ground for young archaeologists as well as a center for interpreting Gaulish culture for a popular audience. Important international excavations take place at Mont Beuvray, with teams from the universities of Sheffield, Kiel, Budapest, Vienna and Leipzig. Nièvre is a département in the center of France named after the Nièvre River. ... Saône-et-Loire is a French département, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies. ... Coat of arms of the 2nd duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: Bourgogne) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Pre-Indo-European people, Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks. ... For other articles with similar names, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... Kiel ( ) is a city in northern Germany and the capital of the Bundesland Schleswig-Holstein. ... Nickname: Paris of the East, Pearl of the Danubeor Queen of the Danube Location of Budapest in Hungary Country Hungary County Pest Mayor Gábor Demszky (SZDSZ) Area    - City 525,16 km²  - Land n/a km²  - Water n/a km² Population    - City (2006) 1,695,000  - Density 3570/km... Inhabitants according to official census figures: 1800 to 2005 Vienna in 1858 UN complex in Vienna, with the non-affiliated Austria Center Vienna in front - picture taken from Danube Tower in nearby Danube Park. ... [] (Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the Federal State (Bundesland) of Saxony in Germany. ...

External links

• Bibracte website (in English)
• Athena Review article "Bibracte"
• Bibracte, a city of the Gauls

Useful quote from "The Pagan Christ" by Tom Harpur (2004) - "A Christian mob destroyed the Gaulish city of Bibracte in 389 . . . Bibracte had a sacred Druid college with forty thousand students and it offered courses in philosophy, literature, grammar, law, medicine, astrology, architecture and esoteric religion."