This paper aims to introduce a new research project on the Roman conquest of Northern Gaul. In these districts, especially in the ‘Germanic’frontier zone, the conquest had dramatic negative effects; the emphasis was on destruction, mass enslavement, deportation and probably even genocide. This more negative aspect of the Roman conquest has been the subject of little serious research. Until recently, this was not possible because of the lack of independent archaeological data for such research. However, the situation has changed substantially in the last two decades. Thanks to new archaeological, palaeobotanical and numismatic evidence, it is now possible to develop a more accurate picture of the conquest and its social and cultural impact on indigenous societies, as well as of Caesar’s narrative itself. Adopting a theoretical-methodological focus, this paper aims to show how archaeology can contribute to the study of mass violence and disruption by using a combination of archaeological and historical information. Whereas the relatively new domain of battlefield archaeology will be addressed through the analysis of the fortification of Thuin and its environment, the alleged genocide of the Eburones by Caesar will be revised on the basis of settlement patterns and environmental data.