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Origin and history

The Protohistoric Camp of Penchâteau, also known as the Celtic Camp of Pouliguen, is an oppidum located on the point of Penchâteau, south of the commune of Pouliguen, in the Loire-Atlantique. This archaeological site dates back to antiquity and Protohistory, showing a Celtic occupation in this coastal region. Its strategic seafront location suggests a defensive and potentially economic role, linked to maritime trade or coastal surveillance.

The camp was listed as a historical monument in 1979 for the protection of its rampart, the main vestige of the L-oppidum. A further inscription in 1996 extended this protection to later discovered remains on other plots. These measures reflect the heritage importance of the site, studied by archaeologists such as Maurice Rouzeau and Marie-Henriette Rouzeau, whose work revealed elements such as a bronzer furnace and metallurgical slag.

Archaeological research conducted between the 1980s and 1990s provided a better understanding of the organization and activities of the camp. Publications in specialized journals, such as the Bulletin of the Nantes Archaeological Society or the Western Archaeological Review, document these discoveries. Among them, the analysis of a metallurgical furnace attests to local artisanal production, probably linked to bronze metallurgy. These elements illustrate the economic and technical dynamism of the Celtic communities located on this site.

Today, the Penchâteau camp remains a major testimony of the protohistoric occupation in the Pays de la Loire. Although visible remains are limited to the rampart, the site continues to attract interest from historians and the public. Its inclusion in the national historic heritage makes it a key place for the study of the oppida celtes in Atlantic France, in a context where these fortifications played a central role in the territorial and social organization of the Gaulish peoples.

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