One agglomeration, two major sites?
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 04/10/2018

The Late Prehistoric agglomeration of Tolosa (2nd-1st centuries BCE) consisted of two major sites distant only a few kilometers the one to the other: a hill-top settlement of more than 150ha (Vieille-Toulouse) and a lowland settlement of more than 100ha Saint-Roch). This peculiar structure, rare in the western Late Prehistory, has led the researchers to debate the existence of two possible models. The first proposes that both sites coexisted and had equal rank , while the second proposes a hierarchy between both sites: the. hillfort of Vieille-Toulouse would concentrate the political powers, while Saint-Roch would only be a market place. 
These two agglomerations take place in a specific historical context, marked by close links with Rome, whose direct intervention in the Toulouse area intervention towards 100av. J.-C. probably lead to the abandonment of Saint-Roch . On a long-term perspective, the material record appears strongly impacted by Mediterranean influences. Local population was deeply involved in long-distance trade, while clear archaeological traces show the presence of foreigners coming from various areas of the ancient world. Most of this archaeological material, however, proceeds from ancient excavations of wells and shafts –most of them date back to the 1960s-1970s-, thus complicating a spatial approach of these sites, their archaeological interpretation and their comparison, whether reciprocal or with other sites.
This paper will present the method developed to deal with these issues. Our approach is based on a GIS crossed with a database, which led to the elaboration of a homogeneous documentation according to consistent criteria, therefore allowing for a discussion of the nature of both sites and of their mutual interactions. Moreover, in a context dominated by the indiscriminate use of pre-conceived models, this approach allows for a context-driven analysis of the activities held in two sites perhaps belonging to a unique agglomeration.

Author: Ms Eymard, Sandra - University of Toulouse Jean Jaurès (Presenting author)