France: 1001 Sights
An Archaeological and Historical Guide

James M. Anderson
M. Sheridan Lea

About the Book

This distinctive historical and archaeological guidebook to France introduces the reader and traveller to the palpable remains of past cultures that shaped the development of the modern country. A chronological description of the important epochs, from the first appearance of humans in France down to medieval times, is followed by a portrayal of archaeological monuments and details of their exact location. These include prehistoric cave paintings, villages, necropoli, megaliths, Celtic forts and historic Roman and Gallo-Roman remains (including towns, temples, villas, bridges, roads, and aqueducts), early Christian churches, chapels and murals, as well as medieval structures, fortifications, and cemeteries. This book can be used as a field manual to readily find and explore France's ancient heritage or as a reference for those who cannot visit the sites but are interested in the legacy of the past.


Companion volume to:

Spain 1001 Sights: An Archaeological and Historical Guide and
Portugal 1001 Sights: An Archaeological and Historical Guide

About the Author

James M. Anderson, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of the University of Calgary. As guide and resource person, Professor Anderson has designed and accompanied numerous adult-education tours to European countries. He authored Spain: 1001 Sights and co-authored Portugal: 1001 Sights with M. Sheridan Lea, both for the University of Calgary Press.

M. Sheridan Lea has a B.A. in French and an M.A. in historical linguistics. She resided and worked in France for many years and brings a profound knowledge and love of the country to the pages of this book. She co-authored Portugal: 1001 Sights with James M. Anderson.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Geography

• Mountains
• Basins and Rivers
• Regions

Part I: Historical Background

1. Appearance of Humans in France
• Lower Paleolithic Period
• Middle Paleolithic Period
• Upper Paleolithic Period.
• Cave Art
2. Mesolithic Period
3. Neolithic Period
4. Megalithic Monuments
• Menhirs
• Dolmens
5. Age of Metals: Copper and Bronze
6. Iron Age Peoples (Celts)
• Gauls
• Greeks, Phoenicians and Carthaginians
• Iberians
• Aquitanians and Basques
7. Roman and Gallo-Roman Period
• Vercingetorix
• Romanization
• Towns
• Villas
• Roads, Bridges and Aqueducts
• Public Baths and Temples
• The Roman Heritage
8. Early Christian Monuments
9. Germanic Invasions and the Early Middle Ages
• Brittany (Bretagne) and Burgundy (Bourgogne)
10. Franks, Merovingians and Visigoths
11. Carolingians
12. Norsemen and the Foundation of Normandy (Normandie)
13. The Rise of France
14. Conclusion
15. Chronological Table

Part II: Sites and Sights

• Alsace
• Aquitaine
• Auvergne
• Bourgogne
• Bretagne
• Centre
• Champagne-Ardenne
• Franche-ComtÈ
• Ile de France
• Languedoc-Roussillon
• Limousin
• Lorraine
• Midi-PyrÈnÈes
• Nord-Pas-de-Calais
• Basse-Normandie
• Haute-Normandie
• Pays de la Loire
• Picardie
• Poitou-Charentes
• Provence-Alpes-CÙte d'Azur
• RhÙne-Alpes

Glossary
Bibliography
Index

Orders

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