Editing History of Luxembourg (section)

==Early history==
{{History of the Low Countries}}
{{Further|Celtic Luxembourg}}
In the territory now covered by the [[Grand Duchy of Luxembourg]], there is evidence of primitive inhabitants dating back to the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age over 35,000 years ago. The oldest artifacts from this period are decorated bones found at [[Oetrange]].

However, the first real evidence of civilisation is from the Neolithic or 5th millennium BC, from which evidence of houses has been found. Traces have been found in the south of Luxembourg at [[Grevenmacher]], [[Diekirch]], [[Aspelt]] and [[Weiler-la-Tour]]. The dwellings were made of a combination of tree trunks for the basic structure, mud-clad wickerwork walls, and roofs of thatched reeds or straw. Pottery from this period has been found near [[Remerschen]].

While there is not much evidence of communities in Luxembourg at the beginning of the Bronze Age, a number of sites dating back to the period between the 13th and the 8th century BC provide evidence of dwellings and reveal artefacts such as pottery, knives and jewellery. The sites include [[Nospelt]], [[Dalheim]], [[Mompach]] and Remerschen.
 
What is present-day Luxembourg, was inhabited by [[Celts]] during the [[Iron Age]] (from roughly 600 BC until 100 AD).
The [[Gauls|Gaulish]] tribe in what is present-day Luxembourg during and after the [[La Tène period]] was known as the [[Treveri]]; they reached the height of prosperity in the 1st century BC. The Treveri constructed a number of [[oppida]], [[Iron Age]] fortified settlements, near the [[Moselle valley]] in what is now southern Luxembourg, western Germany and eastern France. Most of the archaeological evidence from this period has been discovered in tombs, many closely associated with [[Titelberg]], a 50 ha site which reveals much about the dwellings and handicrafts of the period.

The [[Rome|Romans]], under [[Julius Caesar]], completed their conquest and occupation in 53 BC. The first known reference to the territory of present-day Luxembourg was by Julius Caesar in his ''[[Commentarii de Bello Gallico|Commentaries on the Gallic War]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09465a.htm |title=Luxembourg |access-date=2006-07-30 |year=1913 |publisher=Catholic Encyclopaedia }}</ref> The Treveri were more co-operative with the Romans than most [[tribes of Gaul|Gallic tribes]], and adapted readily to Roman civilization. Two revolts in the 1st century AD did not permanently damage their cordial relations with Rome.
The land of the Treveri was at first part of [[Gallia Celtica]], but with the reform of [[Domitian]] in c. 90, was reassigned to [[Gallia Belgica]].

Gallia Belgica was infiltrated by the Germanic [[Franks]] from the 4th century, and was abandoned by Rome in AD 406.
The territory of what would become Luxembourg by the 480s, became part of [[Merovingian|Merovingia]] [[Austrasia]] and eventually part of the core territory of the [[Carolingian Empire]].
With the [[Treaty of Verdun]] (843), it fell to [[Middle Francia]], and in 855, to [[Lotharingia]]. With the latter's division in 959, it then fell to the [[Duchy of Upper Lorraine]] within the [[Holy Roman Empire]].