Coligny, Ain facts for kids
Coligny is a small town, also called a commune, located in eastern France. It's part of the Ain department. Coligny is close to a larger city called Bourg-en-Bresse. A river named the Solnan flows along its southwestern side.
Discovering Ancient Coligny
Coligny is famous for some amazing discoveries from ancient times. These finds help us understand the Gauls, who were a Celtic people living in this area long ago.
The Coligny Calendar: A Time Machine
One of the most important discoveries is the "Coligny calendar". Imagine finding a calendar from over 2,000 years ago! This calendar is a bronze tablet with engravings. It was found in pieces in 1897.
This special calendar helped experts learn a lot about how the Gauls understood astronomy. It showed they knew about the sun and moon cycles. The calendar also gave clues about their language, like the names they used for months. It even had words for "lucky" and "unlucky" days!
The Coligny calendar was written using the Latin alphabet. It followed a five-year cycle. Some years had twelve lunar months, and others had thirteen. This helped them keep their calendar in sync with the seasons.
The God of Coligny Statue
Another interesting find in Coligny was a bronze statue. It was discovered in the late 1800s. People call this statue the Dieu de Coligny, which means the "God of Coligny". It's another piece of history that tells us about the ancient people who lived here.
