Editing Bayonne (section)

===Ancient times===
[[File:Aquitani tribes map-fr.svg|thumb|Map of [[Novempopulania]] indicating the position of the [[Tarbelli]] territory north-west of the Pyrenees]]

The oldest documented human occupation site is located on a hill overlooking the Nive and its confluence with the Adour.<ref group="PiH" name="p3" />

In the 1st century AD, during the Roman occupation, Bayonne already seems to have been of some importance since the Romans surrounded the city with a wall to keep out the [[Tarbelli]], [[Aquitani]], or the [[proto-Basque]] who then occupied a territory that extended south of modern-day [[Landes (department)|Landes]], to the modern French Basque country, the [[Chalosse]], the valleys of the [[Adour]], the mountain streams of [[Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques]], and to the [[Gave d'Oloron]].<ref>Charles Athanase Walckenaer, ''Ancient Historical Geography and comparison of the Cisalpine and Transalpine Gauls, followed by a geographical analysis of ancient routes and accompanied by a nine map Atlas'', Vol. 1, P. Dufart, 1839, 1085 pages {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>

The archaeological discoveries of October and November 1995 provided a shred of evidence to support this projection. In the four layers of sub-soil along the foundation of the Gothic cathedral (in the "apse of the cathedral" area), a 2-metre depth was found of old objects from the end of the 1st century—in particular sigillated Gallic ceramics from [[Montans]] imitating Italian styles, thin-walled bowls, and fragments of [[amphorae]].<ref group="Note">Sigillata ceramics of red brick colour, the resulting relief decoration is decorated before firing by stamping</ref> In the "southern sector" near the cloister door, there were objects from the second half of the 1st century as well as coins from the first half of the 3rd century.<ref>In ''The Week in Basque Country'', M. Esteban, March 1996 {{in lang|fr}}</ref>

A very high probability of human presence, not solely military, seems to provisionally confirm the occupation of the site at least around the third century.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

A Roman [[Castra|castrum]] dating to the end of the 4th century has been proven as a fortified place of [[Novempopulania]]. Named ''Lapurdum'', the name became the name of the province of ''Labourd''.<ref group="Note">The ''Notitia Dignitatum imperii Romani'', dating from 340 to 420 AD, mentions the seat of the tribune of the cohort of Novempopulania in these terms: "In provincia Novempopulana tribunus cohortis Novempopulanae Lapurdo"</ref> According to Eugene Goyheneche, the name ''Baiona'' designated the city, the port, and the cathedral while that of ''Lapurdum'' was only a territorial designation.<ref>[http://hal.inria.fr/docs/00/38/73/91/PDF/origine_dialectes_definitiboa.pdf ''On the presumed origin of the division of the Basque language''], Hector Iglesias, consulted on 5 August 2014 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> This Roman settlement was strategic as it allowed the monitoring of the trans-Pyrenean roads and of local people rebellious to the Roman power. The construction covered 6 to 10 hectares according to several authors.<ref>Renée Mussot-Goulard, ''The Gascons'', Atlantica, 2001 {{in lang|fr}}</ref><ref group="Note">Gérard Coulon, ''The Gallo-Romains: life, work, beliefs, diversions—54 BC – 486 AD'', Paris, 2006, Errance, Hespérides collection, {{ISBN|2-87772-331-3}}, p. 21 {{in lang|fr}}, retains the number 10 hectares.</ref><ref group="Note">According to Eugène Goyheneche in ''Basque Country: Soule, Labourd, Lower Navarre'', Société nouvelle d’éditions régionales et de diffusion, Pau, 1979, BnF FRBNF34647711, the old Roman wall which is still visible in parts was in the shape of a polygon of {{convert|1125|m|ft|abbr=off}} perimeter in an area of {{convert|6|to(-)|9|ha|abbr=off}}.</ref>