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Origin and history

The Gallo-Roman theatre of Épiais-Rhus is an ancient performance building located at the edge of the communes of Épiais-Rhus and Vallangoujard, in Val-d Its exact typology remains unknown due to partial excavations: it could be a theatre, a mixed amphitheater or an original structure. Functional between the first century (first half) and the end of the second/early third century, it has undergone at least two phases of construction, with an undated intermediate reconstruction. The site, registered with the historical monuments in 1983, belongs to a Gallo-Roman secondary agglomeration pre-existing to the Roman conquest, including temples, thermal baths and a forum.

The theatre is located on the western edge of the Cresnes Valley, on the border of the territories of the Véliocasses, Silvanectes, Parisiens and Bellovaques. Its remains, very fragmentary, reveal a curved north wall (with an entrance) and a south wall in straight segments, suggesting two successive states. The diameter of the monument would increase from 74 m (first condition) to 59 m after reconstruction. A dozen rows of stands, in blocks of large apparatus, bear inscriptions mixing Gallic and Roman names, indicating different jobs or phases. No scenic structure was identified, perhaps due to incomplete surveys or a summary arrangement, which is common in Roman Gaul.

Discovered in 1977 after suspicions from the 1970s, the site was searched until 1980, interrupted by the partial acquisition of the land by the department for its preservation. Between 1986 and 1990, consolidation work was carried out, but the remains, left in the open air, suffered damage and vandalism in 1993, leading to their re-infill to protect them. The studies resumed in 2019, combining review of archives, aerial prospecting and inventory of archaeological furniture already collected. The site remains partially inaccessible, but precautions have been taken to allow future research.

The protected parcels (classified in 1983) cover the sites Les Terres Noires, Le Chemin de Pontoise (Épiais-Rhus) and La Vallée de Cresnes (Vallangoujard). Archaeological furniture, compatible with the dating range (I–III century), includes inscribed blocks and architectural elements. The absence of an identifiable scene and the hybrid form of walls suggest a local adaptation of Roman models, typical of Gallo-Roman secondary agglomerations. The inscriptions on the stands, although not contemporary, show a cultural mix between Gaulish traditions and Roman influences.

The ancient agglomeration, founded before the Roman conquest, occupied a strategic position among several Gaulish peoples. In addition to theatre, it included thermal baths, temples and a forum-like structure, indicating a regional economic and religious role. The theatre, located on the eastern outskirts of the site, could have served as a community gathering place, reflecting the gradual integration of local elites into the Roman urban model. Its abandonment coincided with the general decline of secondary agglomerations in Gaul in the third century, marked by political and economic crises in the Empire.

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