• 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 region

Malagne lies in a region called the Calestien, above the ancient commune of Jemelle. The surroundings of Malagne have barely changed since the Gallic Roman era and the natural state is comparable with that of the Antique.

The Calestien is a zone that holds a lot of lime bottom. The area extends from west to east over a length of about 130 kilometres. Its width measures between 2 to 4 kilometres and its height varies between 250 and 300 metres. In the north this area is limited by the Fagne and the Famenne and in the south by the Ardennes.

This region has a climate that is softer than that of the nearby Ardennes. The lime rocks of the Calestien contain lots of caves (for instance in Han-sur-Lesse, Rochefort, Hotton, Remouchamps...).

The Gallic Roman Malagne is situated on a lime hill where the river The Lomme passes underneath. Its height is 235 meters. The wood bordering the Gallic Roman side consists of thicket and high-headed oaks and birch-like trees on lime soil.

The wood-like vegetation consists of several heights and layers:

the timber-line is formed by the highest trees of the wood, in this case stem-like oaks, related of black pine trees;

the bush layer consists from nut trees, cornel trees, clematis;

the herb layer, which contains grasses and ferns, wild narcissi, wood anemones, smelly hellebores;

the moss layer consists of moss and mushrooms