• ARCHAEOLOGY
  • Military science
  • Religion
  • Historical context
    • The excavations
    • The Gallic Roman civilization
    • The Pax Romana
    • The villas
    • The dark years
    • Archaeological context
    • The region
  • Agricultural archaeology
  • Beer
  • The vallus
• WALKING IN MALAGNE
• TEACHERS
• CHILDREN

The dark years

The economical crisis of the IIIrd century and the German attacks have lead to the implementation of a defence, such as the fortress on rocky walls.

The oppidum of Eprave, not so far from Malagne is an example of this. These oppida were made of wood with a stone entrenchment around it. The militaries that occupied these fortresses existed in the course of the years of German mercenaries that lived there with their families.

During the attacks of the IIIrd century the houses were left. A few times they were inhabited again after troubled times but usually at that point there was less space and luxury compared to the previous centuries (mixture of wood and brigs, bath rooms were not used). This seems common in the north of Gaul. In any case it was like that with the villa of Malagne: only the annexes were used for fine metal working.

In 410 the Roman government withdraws and slowly but surely a tribe culture develops within the fortresses (in Eprave for instance). The Francs do not care for the ruins of Malagne and establish a bit further, near to the place that later on will be called Behogne (Rochefort), in the valley of the river The Lomme.