The oppidum
The oppidum of Jœuvres is situated high up in a loop of the Loire river which isolates it on three sides. The fourth side of the oppidum, to the east, was protected by an artificial mound surmounted by a wall, but this fortification was looted over the centuries to be used for other constructions. Although flints, probably clues of neolithic occupation, have been found, it is the Gallic and Gallo-Roman occupations that characterize the site of Jœuvres.
Numerous objects have been discovered: amphoras, ceramics, bronze objects, a fragment of finely worked bracelets, a small ring, a fibula with partitioned enamels, many coins. The discovery of two fragments of crucibles bearing traces of copper testifies to the existence of a bronzer’s workshop.
During an excavation campaign conducted in 1958 by Mr. Périchon, a part of the construction of a Gallo-Roman villa was discovered along with cisterns, wells and traces of a Gallic necropolis.
The little horse and the boar
In 1911, Joseph Déchelette collected two bronze statuettes dating from the 1st century BC, representing a horse and a wild boar. Their originality lies in the fact that they were found in an exceptional state of conservation.
They are significant testimonies of Celtic art, the horse and boar being two sacred subjects very often represented in this civilization.
The two statuettes are remarkable for their sobriety and finesse. Approximately of the same weight, they are both fitted with suspension rings. These figurines were undoubtedly used as amulets or talismans, or even as harnesses for the horses.
The originals are to be admired at the Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology Joseph Déchelette in Roanne.
