Archaeologists have revealed new insights into a major Gallic settlement in western France, where excavations uncovered evidence of extensive metalworking, long-lived religious practices and what may be one of the clearest indications of the slave trade in Iron Age Gaul.
The discoveries come from excavations carried out by the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) at Allonnes, in the Maine-et-Loire department, ahead of a housing development. First excavated in 2019, the site proved so significant that France’s Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC Pays de la Loire) extended the archaeological investigation to allow a more comprehensive study of what is now recognised as an important centre of Celtic Europe.
Several years of post-excavation analysis have now reconstructed more than 2,300 years of the settlement’s history, revealing a thriving commercial hub with sophisticated craft industries and a sanctuary that remained in use for nearly eight centuries.
A major centre for Iron Age metalworking
Founded during the 3rd century BC, the settlement occupied approximately 20 hectares at the junction of several important trade routes, making it an ideal location for commerce. Archaeologists identified a busy artisan district where iron and copper alloys, including bronze, were worked by skilled blacksmiths, coppersmiths, bronze workers and sheet metal specialists.
Excavations uncovered an extensive assemblage of metalworking tools, finished objects, raw material bars, semi-finished products, slag and metalworking waste, providing direct evidence of large-scale industrial activity. Small four-post structures are thought to have housed workshops or shops, while nearby open spaces may have functioned as markets where locally produced goods, agricultural products and imported commodities—including Roman wine transported in amphorae—were traded.
The evidence suggests that Allonnes served as both a regional manufacturing centre and a key trading settlement connected to wider commercial networks across Gaul and the Mediterranean.
Rare iron shackles suggest slave trading
Among the most remarkable discoveries were at least five exceptionally well-preserved iron restraints designed for wrists and ankles.
Such finds are extremely rare in Iron Age Gaul, and archaeologists believe they provide compelling evidence that enslaved people may have been bought and sold within the settlement.
Evidence relating to the lowest levels of Gallic society is seldom preserved in the archaeological record. The individuals held in these restraints may have been prisoners of war, convicted criminals or people forced into slavery through unpaid debts. Men, women and children could all become the property of others, stripped of legal rights and traded as commodities.
Centuries of offerings to the gods
Archaeologists also uncovered a sanctuary that had been operating for almost 800 years, and still in use long after the Roman conquest and long after the surrounding settlement was abandoned.
The religious complex had ceremonies that might have been restricted to the priesthood (like druids) while other rituals were held in adjacent public areas accessible to the wider community.
The excavation had unearthed an impressive collection of ritual offerings, including swords, scabbards, spearheads and hundreds of Gallic and Roman coins dating back more than five centuries. Copper-alloy items including harness fittings and keys were also deposited alongside personal items such as brooches, rings and amulets.
Conserving an exceptional metal assemblage
The excavation resulted in one of the richest collections of Iron Age metal artefacts recovered from the region. To safeguard the fragile finds, the objects were taken to the Arc’Antique conservation laboratory in Nantes, where experts stabilised corrosion with chemical treatments, glass bead micro-abrasion and delicate manual cleaning.
The continuing research is helping historians to reconstruct ancient manufacturing techniques, create the site’s chronology and understand the way in which the settlement and its economy function. The coin assemblage is also revealing trade networks, political influence and ritual practices in relation to the sanctuary.
Discoveries presented to the public
The latest research was presented during the 2026 European Archaeology Days through a public exhibition in Allonnes featuring more than 90 artefacts recovered from the excavation. The programme also included lectures, educational workshops on preventive archaeology and activities for local schoolchildren, culminating a year-long heritage project involving pupils from Jules Ferry and Saint-Doucelin primary schools.
A dedicated exhibition booklet was also produced to accompany the event, bringing the story of Allonnes’ remarkable Iron Age community to a wider audience.
Sources : Inrap
