Evidence of Celtic Slavery: Iron Shackles Reveal 2,300-Year-Old Trade in France
A team of archaeologists has revealed the discovery of five sets of iron shackles at an ancient Celtic site in France, dating back around 2,300 years. This finding suggests that the settlement, of small proportions, was a point of activity for metallurgical artisans and individuals involved in the trade of enslaved people.
Considered pieces of extreme rarity, the handcuffs were located in the commune of Allonnes, located in the Loire Valley, France, during 2019. The complete results of the excavation, which lasted two years, were released to the public on July 9, through an official note issued by the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP).
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As detailed in the statement, the village of Allonnes began to be formed in the 3rd century BC, in parallel with the construction of a religious complex. Researchers in Allonnes found that artisans with specific skills, such as blacksmiths, tinsmiths, bronze professionals and other metalworkers, carried out their activities in modest workshops on site.
During the excavation work, numerous metallic artifacts of excellent quality were recovered, including swords, spearheads, keys and horse paraphernalia. However, the presence of the iron shackles was surprising, given their exceptional rarity for that historical period. The team identified a double handcuff intended for the wrists, one for the ankles and three more fragments of other metal shackles.
The official note indicates that the existence of these restrictive objects could mean that Allonnes functioned as a relevant center for the trade of enslaved people during the final phase of the Iron Age, approximately between the years 450 and 50 BC.
Thierry Lejars, a renowned expert on Celtic metallurgy, stated in a translated statement for INRAP that “the presence of handcuffs and weapons points to a hierarchical social structure, divided between dominant and subordinate groups, whether prisoners or slaves.”
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The Gauls, a diverse set of Celtic tribes, had a habit of enslaving prisoners of war, condemned individuals, and those in debt, often employing them in agricultural work. These men, women and children were stripped of their rights and traded and sold by their owners. Due to the scarcity of original Celtic historical records, knowledge about slavery in pre-Roman Gaul is limited. The handcuffs found at Allonnes are therefore of great importance, as they provide an unprecedented and tangible perspective on the existence of individuals who would otherwise remain on the margins of historical narratives, filling crucial gaps in understanding the social dynamics of the time.
The reduced diameter of one of the wrist cuffs, measuring 6 centimeters, suggests that it could have been used on a woman or a child, according to the statement. The ankle shackle, weighing more than one kilo, offers an idea of the physical burden that enslaved individuals were forced to bear.
Furthermore, archaeologists identified a cult sanctuary in Allonnes, accompanied by varied offerings, such as clothing and adornments, including rings and amulets. Most of these items had been intentionally altered or damaged, probably with the aim of transforming everyday objects into gifts dedicated to deities, as reported in the statement.
At the excavation site, hundreds of coins were also found, with minting dates spanning a period of more than five centuries, as reported by Isabelle Bollard-Raineau, an expert on ancient coins at the French Ministry of Culture, in an interview translated for INRAP. Approximately a third of the coins discovered at Allonnes showed signs of having been filed, cut or engraved with a chisel.
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Bollard-Raineau explained that “such mutilations demonstrate a ritualistic purpose: removing the economic function of the coin to consecrate it to the sacred, ensuring the perpetuity of the offering.”
Allonnes stood out as a Celtic site of strategic importance, located at the confluence of several important routes in antiquity. Careful analysis of the metal artefacts discovered has brought to light crucial information about the most vulnerable segments of Gallic society.
