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Origin and history

The Oppidum de La Chaussée-Tirancourt, nicknamed "Camp de César", is a fortified site of the late Iron Age, located in the valley of the Somme, 12 km from Amiens. Occupying 35 hectares between the river, the valley of the Acon and an artificial ditch ("Sarrazin ditch"), it combines natural defences (abrupt slopes) and human development (reparts, land rise). Its "barred spur" location makes it a typical example of Gallic oppidums, designed to house thousands of people, herds and property.

Early studies date back to the 18th century, but systematic excavations began in the 19th century (1822, 1891). In 1962, Roger Agache, pioneer of aerial archaeology, discovered a second internal rampart and external enclosures bounded by ditches. Between 1983 and 1991, soundings revealed a fortified door with "returning wings", a wooden watch tower, and a gallicus muru (gaulian rampart technique). The 2014-15 campaigns call into question the previous dates: the site would date from 60 B.C., that is, during the Roman conquest, with artifacts mixing Gallic and Roman equipment.

It is distinguished by its complex defensive system: a 457 m long and 12 m wide ditch, a 27 m thick earth rise, and an entrance protected by a 20 m corridor flanked by massive poles. The excavations also revealed a neolithic enclosure (5000–2000 B.C.), proving an earlier human occupation. The site, exceptionally preserved in an area where agriculture has often levelled reliefs, offers a panorama of the Somme Valley and the city of Amiens.

Archaeological interpretations diverge: for Jean-Louis Brunaux, the site would be a Roman camp built by Gauls after the Gauls' War (40–25 BC), using local techniques appreciated by Rome. Other researchers, based on the 2014-2015 excavations, date from 60 B.C., in direct connection with the Caesarean conquest. This duality makes it a rare testimony of the beginnings of the Roman presence in the North of France, where the military installations of that time remain poorly known.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1862, La Chaussée-Tirancourt is now close to the Samara Archaeological Park. Its state of conservation and its characteristics make it a key site for understanding the transitions between iron ages, Roman conquest, and neolithic occupation. The artifacts discovered — door nails, legionary equipment elements — underline its role both military and community in a strategic area between Somme and Picardy Plateau.

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