Archeological site of Alba-la-Romaine

The archaeological site of Alba-la-Romaine, corresponding to the Gallo-Roman city of Alba Augusta Helviorum or Alba Helviorum ("Alba of the Helvii") is located near the present town of Alba-la-Romaine. The site is in the French department of Ardèche, Rhône-Alpes. During the Roman Imperial era, Alba was the capital of the Celtic-speaking polity of Helvii, which had territory covering the area of lower Vivarais.

A settlement is likely to have existed at the site of Alba before the civitas of the Helvii came under Roman rule, and there are indications of an early oppidum near the Chaulène plateau, northwest of Alba. The excavations west of the site ("Saint-Pierre") comes with lithic debris from the end of the third millennium. At the site of two "domus" south-east of the site ("home field Delauzun"), a habitat La Tène III (first century) also was revealed by the discovery of imported ceramics, as well as collars, handles, or lips of wine amphoras, and Italy and Allobrogian currency, issued before the third quarter of the first century. Other oppida are known in the territory of Helvii, such as at Jastres North. Their neighbors to the north were the Segusiavi, to the west the Vellavi and Gabali, and to the south the Volcae Arecomici.

In 121 BC, the Arverni, a Celtic people from the Auvergne, were defeated by the Roman consul Fabius Maximus. Their king, Bituitos, was taken to Rome and paraded in a Roman triumph. Fabius Maximus managed to dissociate the Helvii and Allobroges from the Arverni, and drew them instead into an alliance with Rome. In 83 BC, the leader of the Helvii was granted Roman citizenship by the proconsul Gaius Valerius Flaccus, and incorporated his patron's name into his own, becoming Gaius Valerius Caburus. One of his two sons, Gaius Valerius Troucillus, was highly regarded by Caesar, and employed by him as an interpreter and diplomatic liaison during the Gallic Wars. In 52 BC, the Helvii held the border of the Roman province against an invasion of forces sent by Vercingetorix. Subsequently, Alba adopted privilege of Roman law.

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