Aux premiers temps de la monnaie en Occident. Pratiques économiques et monétaires entre l’Èbre et la Charente (Ve - Ier s. a.C.)

Between the fifth century and the first century BC, the space between the Ebro and Garonne, linking the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, is located at the crossroads of different cultural areas : Celtic Gaul, the Iberian Peninsula, Aquitaine, the Greek cities, and also Rome. Due to the lack of literary sources and archaeological data, our knowledge of indigenous peoples remains fragmentary. This gap can be filled by the study of material remains they left us. Also, coinage can provide crucial data because it represents a privileged witness of relations between protohistoric communities. In addition, because of its symbolic value, it is the very expression of proto-historic societies.

It seemed necessary to study the coinage is in a new light and stand out from traditional numismatic approaches (often compartmentalized in iconographic and typological considerations), whose interpretations generally lead to a disconnected human discourse and historical realities. The currency is the manifestation of a social state, this work proposes to bring within a transdisciplinary angle (archaeological, economic, numismatics, statistical and anthropological) the complexity and variety of monetary practices. One of the key issues remains linked to the emergence of coinage. In this perspective, it was essential to determine the rhythms, procedures, and agents of its release. Responding to plural origins, the introduction of the currency trade involves a series of structural changes which we try to measure the social, economic and political impact. On the other hand, an analysis of different mints, we conducted to characterize, trade flows, political and cultural changes ethnic realities, as well as influences from remote environments. This approach has also allowed us to distinguish historical trends, as well as unique cultural fields. 

More broadly, the thinking focuses on the role of money in these protohistoric societies: what is its role, its importance? Who and what is she? These questions aim to better understand the terms of trade in the second Iron Age. 

For the first time, this work outlines an intelligible monetary and economic panorama between the first appearance of specie and the establishment of the Roman monetary system.