Lille in the 11th century: An overview of the historical and archaeological evidence.

For Lille, the confluence of archaeological finds and XIth century historical sources, where the city is mentioned for the first time, provide us with a new hypothesis concerning its defining structures. The castrum may have then been nearly round, as with the Carolingian enclosures of the Flanders coast. The forum, usually located in the 'grand place', could be a smaller triangle, adjacent to the castrum. The 'Madame' mound may have been a redoubt linked to the castrum, and maybe a later feature. Other elements such as the monetary workshop or the comtal Aula are also discussed.