Southern France: An Oxford Archaeological Guide

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Unique guide for archaeology minded traveler

Southern France: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (Oxford Archaeological Guides)
Henry Cleere
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192880063

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The mountainous regions of southern France, historian Fernand Braudel observed, were settled earlier and more heavily than most other regions in the Mediterranean. The coastal town of Lattes, writes British archaeologist Cleere by way of example, has been settled since the early Neolithic, or nearly six millennia, its inhabitants then as now drawn by its handsome lagoons and fertile fields.

Cleere describes 104 sites in the region, from the Gironde to the Maritime Alps, keying directions to the Michelin 1:200,000 series of maps. A few of those sites will be well known to travelers with an interest in ancient history: the Maison Carrée and the fine Roman arena at Nimes, for instance, or the great amphitheater at Arles. Other sites are less well known but of great historical significance, such as the stone hill forts on the Plateau de Jastres where the Arveni chieftain Vercingetorix suffered defeat at the hands of Julius Caesar, and the great limestone caverns at Le Mas d'Azil, where magnificent examples of late Magdalenian period cave art have been found. The book is illustrated with high-quality photographs, maps, architectural plans, and line drawings, and accompanied by sidebars explaining points of historical and cultural interest. This includes, for example, notes on the eerie Celtic "severed head cult" and the development of the Aretine pottery industry in southern France.

The book makes a splendid companion for travelers seeking a window into the ancient past, one that will take them away from the crowds and into little-explored country. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The Midi, between the Massif Central and the Mediterranean, is the region of France that is richest in archaeological treasures, and these are described in the OAG to South France. The earliest of these date back to the Palaeolithic period, some twenty thousand years ago, when our ancestors were decorating caves and rock shelters with dramatic depictions of hunting and ritual. Later human cultural evolution in the region is represented by strongly defended hilltop settlements and by impressive funeral mounds and dolmens. Greek colonists arrived around 600 BC and set up towns along the coast, trading with the local peoples, and these are the origins of the main towns of the present day, such as Marseilles, Nice, and Arles. The region was annexed by Rome in the 2nd century BC and the prosperous new province was endowed with many fine public buildings, such as the amphitheatres and theatres at Arles, Nimes, and Orange, the network of roads, and massive towns walls, as at Carcassonne. In addition, there is plenty of evidence of more mundane aspects of daily life, such as the water-mill at Barbegal, the potteries of La Graufesenque, and the houses of the town dwellers at Vaison-la-Romaine.

Customer Reviews:

Unique guide for archaeology minded traveler.......2002-12-15

The little known Oxford Archaeological Guides series provides information that you cannot find elsewhere This guide was written by Henry Cleere in 2001 and gives information about many of the (mostly Roman) archaeological sites of southern France. Sites are described in great detail with an emphasis on how the site might have looked in ancient times and changes occurring over centuries. Information is provided here that I have not seen in any other guidebook. The amazing Roman bridge the Pont du Gard, near Nimes, is described in great detail. This immense stone structure was built in 20 BC over the river Gard to supply water to the expanding settlement of Nemausus (present day Nimes). The automobile-sized stone blocks of which the bridge is built were quarried from a site less than a kilometer upstream. There is no better illustration of the power and wealth of ancient Rome than that such a massive structure was built (50 meters high and 275 meters wide) merely to provide abundant water for a minor settlement. Other not-to-be missed sites are given the attention they deserve: The very similar amphitheaters of Arles and Nimes are well described. The beautiful Roman theater and the triumphal arch at Orange are explored in detail I have not seen elsewhere. This book would not be suitable as the only guidebook to take with you on a trip, the information provided is far too specialized. I'd recommend taking along the Michelin Green guides or the Knopf guide for Provence as well. Some minor drawbacks: the drawings and maps are not as detailed as they could be and the few photographs that are provided are black and white and of poor quality. These complaints are not critical flaws; the book would still be invaluable even if it didn't contain a single illustration.

Average customer rating:

Southern France: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (Oxford Archaeological Guides)
Henry Cleere
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKDMP6

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