THE BATTLE OF THE FINGEANNE. 135 



discoveries of horse-shoes in Britain ; in the mean time we 

 must not forget to mention, that these researches and 

 speculations on the treasures found in the tumuli sur- 

 rounding the ruins of the ancient city of Alesia, are sup- 

 plemented by similar discoveries in the neighbourhood, of 

 articles which may be referred to the same period. 



During the war in Gaul, Cccsar had often to encoun- 

 ter the brave and numerous cavalry of Vercingetorix, the 

 Gaulish general. Before the blockade of Alesia, a severe 

 cavalry engagement took place on the Vingeanne, near 

 Longeau, which resulted in the defeat of the Gaulish 

 horse. The Emperor Napoleon thus alludes to the his- 

 torical proofs of this event : — ' The field of battle of the 

 Vingeanne, which M. H. Defay, of Langres, first pointed 

 out, answers perfectly to all the requirements of the Latin 

 narrative, and moreover, material proofs exist which are 

 undeniable evidences of the struggle. We allude to the 

 tumuli which are found, some at Prauthoy, others on the 

 banks of the Vingeanne, at Dardenay, and Cusey, and 

 those which, at Pressant, Rivieres-les-Fosses, Chamber- 

 ceau, and Vesores, mark, as it were, the line of retreat of 

 the Gaulish army, to a distance of twelve kilometres. 

 Two of these tumuli are situated near each other, between 

 Prauthoy and Montsaugeon. There is one near Dar- 

 denay, three to the west of Cusey, one at Rivieres-les- 

 Fosses, another at Chamberceau. We will not mention 

 those which have been destroyed by agriculture, but 

 which are still remembered by the inhabitants. Re- 

 searches lately made in these tumuli have brought to 

 light skeletons, many of which had bronze bracelets round 

 the arms and legs, calcined bones of men and horses, 



