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Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman agglomeration of Mediolanum, located in Malain (Côte-d'Or, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), has its origin at the end of the Iron Age (circa 100-70 BC) as a protohistoric Gaulish city. Located at the confluence of the territories of the Sequanes, Eduans and Lingons, it was attached to the civitates of the Lingons, whose capital was Langres. Its name Mediolanum, meaning "middle plain" or "sanctuaries", reflects its geological context (Langres plateau) and hydrographic (limit of Seine-Saône basins).

The Roman city, founded around 70 B.C., experienced its peak in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, extending over more than 200 hectares with a monumental adornment developed from the beginning of the Gallo-Roman period. The excavations (since 1967) revealed a fanum dedicated to Mars Cicolluis and Litavis, a theatre (discovered in 1976), thermal baths, domuses, and artifacts (amphores, Gallic coins) attesting to its major commercial role. The site, registered with the Historical Monuments in 1992, illustrates the Celto-Roman urbanization linked to the hydrographic axes (Ouche, Saône).

The sanctuary of Mars Cicolluis, with its protohistoric cultural enclosure, delivered architectural elements (bassins, columns, altars) and inscriptions. The thermal baths, located 750 m from the theatre, were fed by an aqueduct. The city, mentioned on the Table de Puisinger, shares characteristics with other Gaulish Mediolanum (Saintes, Évreux, Châteaumeillant), often associated with river basins (Rhône, Loire, Seine) and with argilo-mineral geological contexts. Its gradual decline after the third century remains poorly documented.

The research of the Mesmontois Archaeological Group has revealed Etruscan and Gaulish objects, confirming its status as a crossroads of exchanges between the Celtic, Roman and Mediterranean worlds. The site, partially classified in 2016, includes protected remains on the La Corvée and La Magnotte plots, a mixed property (state, commune, association, private). His study sheds light on the adaptation of Roman urban models to pre-existing Gallic oppidas.

Mediolanum's toponymy reveals an extensive Celtic cultural area (Heals, Armoric, Island Brittany), where this term refers to cities founded between the 5th century BC and the 1st century BC. The suffix -lanum, linked to Breton lan ("sanctuary"), suggests a protohistoric religious heritage. The aerial and terrestrial excavations also identified a main road bordered by domestic habitats (villæ), highlighting the orthogonal organization typical of the Roman cities of Lyon Gaul.

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