The Helvetians of Avenches

The Roman town Aventicum, Avenches in the present-day canton of Vaud, is well known for its arena, theatre, temple (or Cigogne), Roman city wall and the Roman museum in the medieval tower.

The Romans founded the Colonia Aventicum after 15-13 BC, but before the arrival of the Romans, there existed a large Celtic settlement. Excavations have provided increasing insight into this society. This exhibition offers an overview of the latest finds and science.

The Celtic tribes

From the 5th century BC, much of Europe, including present-day Switzerland, was inhabited by Celtic tribes, also called Gauls by the Greeks. At the beginning of the 1st century BC, the Celtic tribe of Helvetians inhabited most of the Swiss Plateau, the area from the Jura to the Alps.

Written sources

The written sources are exclusively from Greek and Roman authors and, therefore, by no means objective. They tell about the relations between the Celts and the Mediterranean world from their perspective. The most famous text was written by Julius Caesar in his de Bello Gallico, about the Gallic War (58-52 BC)

The failed exodus of Celtic tribes, including the Helvetian and Rauracen tribes, in 58 BC, led to the Gallic War. Caesar defeated these tribes at Bribracte that year and won the Gallic War in 52 BC.

Archaeology

While Roman stone monuments, cities and roads are often spectacular and at least partly preserved, the wooden remains of the Celts – and the Helvetians – are challenging to identify and interpret. Yet archaeology has succeeded in (re)writing the history of these tribes, depicting their organisation and religion and understanding their culture, crafts and trade relations.

The Celts 

Archaeological excavations show that there was already a Helvetian settlement and organised hierarchical society at the foot of the hill in Avenches in the 2nd century BC. It was a residential area, with an elite of warriors, coins, specialised and advanced crafts, religion and burials. After 15 BC, the Roman city of Aventicum  emerged.

The exhibition

The exhibition shows the commercial, craft, domestic and religious activities, elite, social relations and warfare of these Helvetians until the arrival of the Romans.