History of the Ensérune oppidum

Vue aérienne de l'Oppidum et du musée archéologique depuis l'extrémité ouest du site

Discover the fascinating history of the Ensérune oppidum, a Celtic city at the crossroads of civilizations!

A little history...

A Celtic oppidum

Created around 575 BC, Ensérune is a fortified city (an oppidum ) perched on a hillside whose steep slopes offered natural protection. This type of settlement is typical of theIron Age (850 to 50 BC).

Ancient authors attribute its territory to the Elysic people and later to the Volco-Tectosages. The Celts achieved a high level of mastery in the arts of fire, ceramics and glass. Iron metallurgy, goldsmithing and silver coinage also flourished.

Swords, helmets and ceremonial shields decorated with animal motifs and enhanced with coral were renowned among the greatest Mediterranean armies.

Dessin illustrant un guerrier celte en arme et son cheval à partir des éléments archéologiques découverts au sein de la tombe TB 163 : boucle de ceinture, fibules, bouclier, lance, épée et sa chaîne de suspension. — Dessin mettant en situation des objets provenant de la tombe TB 163 : boucle de ceinture, fibules, bouclier, lance, épée et sa chaîne de suspension.
© José Daniel Cabrera Peña / Centre des monuments nationaux

Greek commercial influence...

Around 600 B.C., the creation of Greek ports such as Massalia (Marseille), Agathé (Agde), Emporion (Ampurias) and Rhodé (Rosas) amplified contacts with Mediterranean merchants who controlled the import of goods from eastern trading posts.

In Ensérune, this influence of the Greek commercial sphere was in full swing for almost 500 years. The most striking example is the undisputed success of luxury black-glazed tableware, notably Greek bowls and craters.

Cratère en cloche attique au décor de griffons et d'amazones
© Laurent Lecat / Centre des monuments nationaux

... and Iberian

From 450 BC to 200 BC, Enserune's destiny remained closely linked to the Iberian world. More than 1,000 graffiti in the Iberian alphabet engraved on ceramics have been discovered at Ensérune!

This is the most important testimony in Europe to this still enigmatic language.

A vast Iberian cultural community took shape north of the Pyrenees, with milestones such as Port-Vendres, Caucoliberis (Collioure), Illiberis (Elne), Ruscino (Château-Roussillon), Le Port (Salses) and Pech Maho (Sigean).

Weapons, ceramics, jewelry, votive objects, wine and olive oil arrived at Ensérune from the trading posts of Rosas, Ampurias, Ullastret in Catalonia and even the Valencian region.

Fragment de panse de vase en céramique campanienne à vernis noir à graffites ibériques, vers 200 avant J.-C.
© Laurent Lecat / Centre des monuments nationaux

A Romanized town

Around 200 BC, the rise of the Roman Republic amplified trade with the Gallic cities of the Midi. Wine trade intensifies via the Domitian Way traced at the foot of Ensérune and linking Italy to Spain.

The creation of the province of Narbonnaise marked the city's integration into the new Roman administrative organization.

The use of Latin, the imposition of new systems of measurement and the diversification of the pantheon conveyed the image of a Romanized city, while large urban mansions(domus) were built in Ensérune, now part of the Roman Empire.