(no subject)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/02/wgaul102.xml
Revealedix: the Gaul of Asterix was no joke
By Justin Stares in Brussels, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:17am BST 02/09/2007
Fighting with his bare fists, and massively outnumbered, France's cockiest
Gaul, Asterix, led a brave rebellion against the Roman occupier.
Not only was his little village encircled by Julius Cæsar's troops, it was
up against an expanding empire - unequalled in the art of warfare and
determined to civilise a backward people who worshipped druids and believed
in magic potions. Or so it was thought until now.
But a discovery in central France has led to a significant reassessment of
the Gauls, who were, it transpires, much more advanced than previously
thought.
Rather than the random gatherings of rudimentary thatched huts illustrated
in the Asterix books, first published in 1961, archaeologists now believe
the Gauls lived in elegant buildings with tiled roofs, laid out in towns
with public squares or forums.
They also crafted metalwork just as complex as anything produced by the
Romans, even before the Roman invasion in 52BC.
The findings have been made at a dig in Corent, near Lyon, where
archaeologists have uncovered what they believe is the palace of
Vercingetorix, the last military leader of all Gaul.
After the Romans arrived, Vercingetorix, a prince who also appears in the
Asterix volumes, was taken prisoner, held in a prison in Rome and garroted
several years later to celebrate Caesar's triumph.
"What we have found here proves that the Gauls were much more civilised than
we thought," Matthieu Poux, the archaeology professor who is heading the
dig, told The Sunday Telegraph.
"The Asterix albums will need to be completely rewritten, as they are based
on the typical image of the Gauls which has been passed down through the
centuries, one of a prehistoric man who lives in the forest. We have
discovered that they had not only complex military structures, but civilian
and trading structures too.
"Until now Gauls for the French were people who lived in huts among the
trees, frightening people. Parents would threaten to send their children to
the Gauls if they did not go to sleep.
"But we have discovered large buildings and public spaces which prove there
were Gauls of considerable social standing.
"Very high magistrates or nobles lived here, possibly even Vercingetorix. We
think we are working on the site where he was given leadership over all of
Gaul in order to fight the Roman invasion."
Mr Poux's team has uncovered previously unknown building techniques,
elaborate foundations and tiled roofing which together suggest that the
architecture in Gaul was just as advanced as that in Rome around 80 to 70BC.
Evidence of a Roman-style forum for public gatherings and a gallery housing
boutiques and workshops has also been discovered, together with ironmongers'
tools, coins and scales. The dig, which has until now concentrated on small,
localised sites, will now be expanded by several miles in the hope of
unearthing an entire city.
Gaul's leaders, it would seem, were a far cry from the buffoon cartoon
character Abraracourcix (Vitalstatistix in the English version), the chief
of Asterix's tribe. His main worry, other than finding food, was that the
sky would fall on his head.
However, perhaps not surprisingly, there is resistance to the idea of
revising the Asterix stories to reflect the new historical findings.
"I have read about the new discoveries, but to be honest I don't think we
will be reworking the Asterix stories," said Florence Richaud, a spokesman
for Albert René, publishers of the series of albums. "The illustrator Albert
Uderzo did try to make it authentic, but rather than educational material
these are stories designed basically to make children laugh."
Mr Uderzo, 80, who has illustrated all of the Asterix adventures, is working
on his memoirs and has no plans to give new life to his ferocious,
moustached creation.
Revealedix: the Gaul of Asterix was no joke
By Justin Stares in Brussels, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:17am BST 02/09/2007
Fighting with his bare fists, and massively outnumbered, France's cockiest
Gaul, Asterix, led a brave rebellion against the Roman occupier.
Not only was his little village encircled by Julius Cæsar's troops, it was
up against an expanding empire - unequalled in the art of warfare and
determined to civilise a backward people who worshipped druids and believed
in magic potions. Or so it was thought until now.
But a discovery in central France has led to a significant reassessment of
the Gauls, who were, it transpires, much more advanced than previously
thought.
Rather than the random gatherings of rudimentary thatched huts illustrated
in the Asterix books, first published in 1961, archaeologists now believe
the Gauls lived in elegant buildings with tiled roofs, laid out in towns
with public squares or forums.
They also crafted metalwork just as complex as anything produced by the
Romans, even before the Roman invasion in 52BC.
The findings have been made at a dig in Corent, near Lyon, where
archaeologists have uncovered what they believe is the palace of
Vercingetorix, the last military leader of all Gaul.
After the Romans arrived, Vercingetorix, a prince who also appears in the
Asterix volumes, was taken prisoner, held in a prison in Rome and garroted
several years later to celebrate Caesar's triumph.
"What we have found here proves that the Gauls were much more civilised than
we thought," Matthieu Poux, the archaeology professor who is heading the
dig, told The Sunday Telegraph.
"The Asterix albums will need to be completely rewritten, as they are based
on the typical image of the Gauls which has been passed down through the
centuries, one of a prehistoric man who lives in the forest. We have
discovered that they had not only complex military structures, but civilian
and trading structures too.
"Until now Gauls for the French were people who lived in huts among the
trees, frightening people. Parents would threaten to send their children to
the Gauls if they did not go to sleep.
"But we have discovered large buildings and public spaces which prove there
were Gauls of considerable social standing.
"Very high magistrates or nobles lived here, possibly even Vercingetorix. We
think we are working on the site where he was given leadership over all of
Gaul in order to fight the Roman invasion."
Mr Poux's team has uncovered previously unknown building techniques,
elaborate foundations and tiled roofing which together suggest that the
architecture in Gaul was just as advanced as that in Rome around 80 to 70BC.
Evidence of a Roman-style forum for public gatherings and a gallery housing
boutiques and workshops has also been discovered, together with ironmongers'
tools, coins and scales. The dig, which has until now concentrated on small,
localised sites, will now be expanded by several miles in the hope of
unearthing an entire city.
Gaul's leaders, it would seem, were a far cry from the buffoon cartoon
character Abraracourcix (Vitalstatistix in the English version), the chief
of Asterix's tribe. His main worry, other than finding food, was that the
sky would fall on his head.
However, perhaps not surprisingly, there is resistance to the idea of
revising the Asterix stories to reflect the new historical findings.
"I have read about the new discoveries, but to be honest I don't think we
will be reworking the Asterix stories," said Florence Richaud, a spokesman
for Albert René, publishers of the series of albums. "The illustrator Albert
Uderzo did try to make it authentic, but rather than educational material
these are stories designed basically to make children laugh."
Mr Uderzo, 80, who has illustrated all of the Asterix adventures, is working
on his memoirs and has no plans to give new life to his ferocious,
moustached creation.