Pan de bois et contreventement oblique en Gaule à l’âge du Fer

• Main Author: Pierre Péfau
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: CNRS Éditions 2017-12-01
• Series: Gallia
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/gallia/2063

Since the 1980s in France, the state of knowledge on Iron Age earth and wood architecture has increased considerably, especially regarding earthfast post constructions. In the architectural syntheses, the timber-framed constructions and triangulated frames – with diagonal braces – are all to rarely taken into account. They are sometimes considered as not belonging to the Iron Age and would only develop from the Roman period. However, recent excavations of Iron Age settlements reveal progressively more and more remains of buildings of this type. The aim of this study is to demonstrate that this type of architecture increase significantly from the Iron Age, based on reliable definitions and identification methods. It also includes a presentation of the main timber-framed buildings and examples of diagonal bracing dating from that same period in Gaul and its surroundings, to illustrate their technical characteristics and consider them in fact in their original economic and social context. Thus, the conceptualisation of timber-framed in the agglomerations and the status of the Iron Age builders are the subject of the reflection carried out here.