The acquisition and circulation of iron during Iron Age II in the northern region of the Paris Basin (France)

Résumé En

During iron age II (La tène period – from the beginning of the 5th century to the roman conquest) in the northern Paris Basin, although forging activities were well developed across the entire region, the smelting of iron was only practiced as a significant production activity in specific areas. eighty-eight sites linked to iron metallurgy have been inventoried, and the archaeometric analysis of twenty of these sites enables us to consider the evolution of regional relational relationships between iron production sites and the outlying areas. during the early La tène period (475-330 Bc), the raw material (smelted iron that had not yet been forged) was acquired through a network of limited restricted local exchange systems. as the local consumption of iron objects gradually increased, this situation evolved to incorporate trade over longer distances and a focus on economic centres. By the late La tène period (150-25 Bc) the metal was traded in the form of iron objects on a regional scale, via the sites that held the highest position in the economical hierarchy, the oppida. in addition, the increasing importance of individual specialists caused a more intense circulation of material inside the sites themselves. the situation in the northern Paris Basin during this period suggests that an evolving social and political system with an increasing consumption of metal resulted in the acceleration of the diversification of production, and led to more specialisation within all levels of the production cycle.