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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Celtic camp of the Bure, located in Lorraine, is a fortified high site bordering the valley of the Haute-Meurthe. Occupied as early as the final Neolithic, it reached its peak in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, during the end of Gaulish independence, then during the Roman period (II–IVth centuries). The plateau, now wooded, is home to vestiges of Gallic (murus gallicus) and Roman ramparts, as well as traces of artisanal activities (forge, glass, carrier). Ranked a historic monument in 1982, it was the subject of archaeological excavations from 1964 to 1986, revealing a rich furniture (currency, weapons, ceramics) exhibited at the Musée Pierre-Noël de Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.

The site, with an area of 3 hectares, peaks at 583 meters and dominates the confluence of the Hure and the Meurthe. It was strategically positioned near ancient roads linking the Vosges valleys and the plain of Lorraine. The ramparts, reinforced by ditches and poternes, protected a habitat occupied by artisans (forgerons, glassmakers), warriors and pilgrims. Local toponymy (Bure) evokes links with mining or the worship of the Gaulish god Baco, while Roman steles attest to the worship of Mercury and Jupiter.

The excavations revealed necropolises, sandstone quarries and metallurgical workshops, with more than 460 kg of slag and 19 iron corners. The site also housed shrines, as evidenced by the fragments of votive steles and the representations of Jupiter cavalier. At the Iron Age, the Bure was a place of power and commerce, before becoming a road and religious relay under the Roman Empire. Its decline coincides with the end of antiquity, although medieval tesses suggest subsequent sporadic frequentation.

The Bure also has a post-antical history marked by legends (wolves, pagan rites) and reuses as a career. In the 18th century, a commemorative cross was erected there to prevent wolf attacks. The first scientific studies began in the 19th century with scholars such as Édouard Ferry and Gaston Save, before systematic excavations led by Albert Ronsin and Georges Tronquart. Today, the site is accessible by hiking trails and offers a 360° panorama of the Vosges.

Archaeological discoveries (346 Gaulish coins, Nauheim fibules, weapons) confirm its major role for the Leuques and other Celtic peoples. The ramparts, combining Gallic techniques (oak-pouting) and Roman techniques (blocks of sandstone), illustrate a continuous occupation. The local museum maintains a model of the site, while stele moulds are displayed in situ. La Bure remains a key testimony of the cultural and military exchanges between Gaul and Romans in Lorraine.

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