The considerable intensification of human activity in the second and first centuries BC in Central Europe was related to the sudden appearance of a network of large fortified towns, which are known as oppida. Bibracte was one of the most important oppida in France, but knowledge about the evolution of its hinterland is still incomplete. This article addresses the evolution of the landscape surrounding this oppidum. Our research was based on a study of sedimentary profiles sampled around the archaeological site and examined by physical, geochemical and palaeoecological analyses. Sediment sequences indicate that the earliest human-induced erosion associated with geomorphological change occurred in the 4th–1st century BC. Geochemical results indicate ancient mining and metallurgy in the catchment during the same time. Palaeoecological proxies from the same period point to a mosaic of an open cultural landscape with locally suppressed forest vegetation and prevailing pastoralism. Anthropogenic impact resurged in the 11th–13th centuries AD and was associated with livestock grazing and rye (Secale cereale) cultivation. Thereafter, the reconstructed human impact from the 15th century AD onwards was probably related to forest management focused on timber floating as well as to the cultivation of chestnut (Castanea sativa) and hemp (Cannabis sativa).

公元前二世纪和一世纪中欧人类活动的显着加强与突然出现的大型设防城镇网络有关，这些城镇被称为oppida。Bibracte是法国最重要的oppida之一，但关于其腹地演变的知识仍然不完整。本文讨论了围绕这个 oppidum 的景观的演变。我们的研究基于对考古遗址周围采集的沉积剖面的研究，并通过物理、地球化学和古生态分析进行了检查。沉积物序列表明与地貌变化相关的最早的人为侵蚀发生在公元前4-1世纪。地球化学结果表明古代采矿和冶金在同一时间在集水区。同一时期的古生态学代表指向一个开放的文化景观，当地森林植被受到抑制，畜牧业盛行。人为影响在公元 11 至 13 世纪重新抬头，并与牲畜放牧和黑麦（黑麦）种植有关。此后，从公元 15 世纪起重建的人类影响可能与侧重于漂浮木材的森林管理以及板栗 (Castanea sativa) 和大麻 (Cannabis sativa) 的种植有关。