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Origin and history

The Affrique camp, also known as the city of Affrique, is a Gallic oppidum dating from the first Iron Age (c. 500 BC), located in the communes of Messein and Ludres en Meurthe-et-Moselle. Located at 417 metres above sea level on the Hague plateau, it dominates the Moselle Valley of 200 metres. The site, excavated from the early 20th century by Jules Beaupré, and from 1981 to 1988, reveals a brief but intense occupation between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, associated with Hallstatt's culture.

The excavations revealed a complex defensive system: two separate enclosures, one of which is a main 7 hectares protected by double ramparts in soil and lime, with calcined limestone bases. An annex enclosure, the "Old Market" (1.5 ha), descends to Ludres. The ramparts, built with a technique combining stone, clay and lime produced on site, suggest deliberate fortification rather than destruction. The habitat, concentrated along the ramparts and on the cliff edge, includes traces of rectangular buildings, fireplaces, and tools attesting to domestic and artisanal activities.

The site played a significant economic role, linked to bronze and iron metallurgy. Bronzier workshops were identified, producing fibula and ornaments typical of the hallstattian period. Although iron slags were found, no evidence of blast furnaces or forgings was found, limiting the hypothesis of a major mining operation. The excavations also revealed grain wheels, animal bones (dominant breeding), and textile tools (fusaioles, needles), illustrating an autarchic and specialized community.

The name "Camp d'Affrique" comes from a 16th century reinterpretation: Nicolas de Ludre, local lord, awarded in 1520 the title of "count d'Affrique" with reference to a Burgundy hill homonymous from where his family was native. In the 18th century, the site was mistakenly considered a Roman camp. Since 1907, he has been listed by Jules Beaupré as one of the "sites and monuments of artistic character", and has been listed as a historical monument since 1998. Recent research highlights his interest in the study of oppida hallstattiens in Lorraine, marked by a dense but short occupation.

Archaeological remains include pottery, arrow tips, and Celtic miners' tools in nearby galleries. The absence of vestiges of blast furnaces and the scarcity of hunting traces suggest an economy oriented towards crafts, agriculture (cereals) and livestock. The site, with its calcined ramparts similar to those of other local oppida (such as the Fourasse in Champigneulles), offers a rare example of permanent and organized housing of the Iron Age, abandoned in the fourth century BC (La Tene B1).

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