Uxellodunum

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Uxellodunum is the name of a Gallic oppidum, located in the current Quercy. It is best known for having been the place of the last battle of the Gauls' War, in 51 B.C., Caesar carried the surrender of the place after his siege. Its name means "high fortress" (uxel, high, and dunum, Latinization of the Gallic dunon, fortress - see dun).

It is a fairly widespread Gaulish name that has evolved in Issolu, Issolud, Issoudun, Exoudun, on several occasions, in the toponymy of Roman Gaul. The location of Uxellodunum in Puy d'Issolud, on the territory of the commune of Vayrac (Lot), is now demonstrated by archaeological excavations and accepted by the scientific community. The site has been classified by the Ministère de la Culture since the early 2000s as a result of new archaeological explorations conducted at the Fountain de Loulièche site by J.-P.

Girault. This identification remains contested by some local amateurs and associative figures of amateur archaeology. Among the localities claiming to be the ancient Uxellodunum, we find for example the...