Partial registration 3 août 1982 (≈ 1982)
Walls and shrines inscribed.
23 décembre 1982
Partial classification
Partial classification 23 décembre 1982 (≈ 1982)
Earthmoving area and glazed wall classified.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Portions of the oppidum located in the parcels corresponding to the line of the rampart, placed Puy-de-Gaudy and Les Bains-d'en-Haut, and plot containing the ancient sanctuary, placed Puy-de-Gaudy (Box BC 163 to 167, 169, 170, 246, 251): inscription by order of 3 August 1982; Portions of the oppidum located in the plots corresponding respectively to a earth-moving zone and to one of the elements of the vitrified wall curving the rampart (Box B 168, 250): classification by decree of 23 December 1982
Origin and history
The Oppidum du Puy de Gaudy, located in the commune of Sainte-Feyre in the department of Creuse (New Aquitaine), is a major archaeological site of the Iron Age 2. This monument, classified and listed as the Historic Monuments, illustrates the strategic importance of the Oppidas during this period, serving as a refuge and a place of power for the Gallic populations. The preserved remains include portions of ramparts, an ancient sanctuary, and a vitrified wall, characteristic elements of the fortifications of the era.
The legal protections of the oppidum were put in place in 1982: a first inscription by decree of 3 August covers the parcels corresponding to the route of the rampart and the sanctuary, while a classification by decree of 23 December of the same year concerns an area of earthworks and an element of the vitrified wall. These measures highlight the heritage value of the site, whose location, although deemed satisfactory a priori (note of 6/10), remains a subject of study for archaeologists.
At the Iron Age, the oppida played a central role in the territorial and social organization of the Gaulish peoples. These fortified sites served both as places of economic control, protection against conflict, and as religious or political centres. In Limousin, a region occupied by tribes such as the Lemovices, these structures reflected a hierarchical society, where crafts, agriculture and commerce structured daily life. The Puppidum of the Puy de Gaudy is thus part of a wider network of strong places, reflecting the cultural and military dynamics of the time.
