Camp de César, Natural plateau and prehistoric site in Chariez, Haute-Saône, France

Camp de César is a 40-hectare plateau above Chariez and Vaivre-et-Montoille, rising between 375 and 386 metres. Steep slopes and cliffs surround it except to the south-east, where a 200-metre-wide isthmus links it to the main plateau. A protohistoric earth-and-stone rampart bars that access; the site is reached by the path from the Croix-aux-curés.

The plateau was occupied since the Palaeolithic, as shown by knapped stones from the Magdalenian found there. Its name is misleading: there was probably no Roman occupation, and "Camp de César" is a 17th-century label for Neolithic or Iron Age barricaded spurs. The "Camp romain" mention appears on the Cassini and état-major maps, explained by the protohistoric earth-and-stone rampart and the dominant position.

The name Camp de César is misleading: no Roman occupation is known here, and such names spread in the 17th century for prehistoric or medieval earthworks. The Cassini and état-major maps label it "Camp romain". The protohistoric bank of earth and stones barring the access, plus the dominating position, explain the fanciful name.

The plateau is reached by road from the south-east, via the path from the Croix-aux-curés; the climb is on foot. The cliffs along the edges are equipped for climbing, and a hang-glider and paraglider take-off strip lies to the north, with landings in the plain at the Fontaine-Froide locality. The 163-hectare site, between 241 and 386 m in altitude, is unprotected by railings at the cliff edges.

The name is misleading: no Roman occupation is known here. "Camp de César" is a 17th-century label for such barricaded spurs, and "Camp romain" appears on the Cassini and état-major maps. The protohistoric earth-and-stone rampart blocking the only access, plus the dominant position, explain the fanciful name.