1Integrated geophysical studies were carried out over several years, at Mandeure-Mathay (Franche-Comté Region, Eastern France) for the archaeological evaluation of ancient Epomanduodurum. The site is of major scientific interest to understand the territorial structure of earlier agglomerations in Eastern Gaul at the end of the Iron Age and during the Roman period. As regards its size, urban equipment, monuments and function, the ancient town is considered rating second behind the civitas capital of Sequani, Besançon-Vesontio. It is located in the Doubs valley, where the plain of Alsace opens into the marches of Burgundy, in a traffic zone between the Vosges and the Jura. This location allows transit between the Rhône valley and the Rhein plain, through the Saône and Doubs valleys. This geographical situation was a significant factor in the creation of the late Iron Age settlement, later to turn into a major Gallo-roman town. The whole site of the Ancient town includes urban centre and two artisan suburbs. The buried ruins stretch on more than 500 hectares outside and inside a meander of the Doubs River.

Figure 1: Mandeure-Mathay (Franche-Comté, Eastern France) Mapping of apparent electrical resistivity (1 m deep). ARP system (Automatic Resistivity Profiling) Adjusted resistivity scale (resistive value in dark, conductive value in clear).

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(Data Geocarta/PCR Mandeure. Data Processing – S. Trillaud, G. Bossuet, M. Thivet, 2008.)

Figure 2: Mandeure « Les Fougères ».

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3In our new research program (LIEPPEC and PCR Mandeure, 2008-2010), it appears necessary to better understand the connections, both in time and in space, between human occupation and the surrounding region, not only at the Roman period and the late Iron Age, but also during prehistoric, medieval and modern periods. In that way, we have defined a square window of 80 km², surrounding the Ancient site of Epomanduodurum (Fig. 3).

Figure 3: Location, soil occupation, archaeological indications and relief for the LIDAR window (81 km²).

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4This study is based on multi-data crossing, including:

• Geophysical prospecting (principally magnetic and electromagnetic)

• Studies of ancient maps, plans (18^th and 19^th) and archaeological inventories in order to spot the location of vestiges and the utilisation of former soils

• Airborne LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), aerial and satellite picture analysis

5Selected anomalies will eventually be prospected by field walking and metal detector in order to determine their extent, their origin (natural or anthropogenic) and their chronology.

6The geomorphologic context of the studied window is composed of the Doubs floodplain (24.1 % of the surface study) surrounded by two table-lands which are situated 100 meters above the plain. Today, the two table-lands are mainly forest-covered (61.8 %) but open field is also present on the plateau in a significant way (27.0 %). (fig. 3)

7While human occupation on open land is certified by a lot of indications, on the contrary, the forest-covered zones on table-land appear as less documented areas. The explanation is that some of the classic methods (such as aerial reconnaissance and field walking) are less efficient in the archaeological prospection of table-lands and hills, naturally marked by omnipresent forest. Thus we will use the LIDAR technology, particularly adapted for the detection and location of cultural resources (ancient fields, buried structures, graves) in forested environment. The LIDAR flight, on Mathay-Mandeure window, is planned for the end of February or early in March, and the preliminary results for June.