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La Roque

Iron-Age oppidum
Type
Iron-Age oppidum

La Roque

Pleiades ID: 148170

settlement

Description

An ancient place, cited: BAtlas 15 B2 La Roque

See Further

  • BAtlas 15 B2 La Roque
    Talbert, Richard J. A., ed. Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2000. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43970336.
    Access
  • Larderet 1957
  • PECS (Perseus), FABRÈGUES Hérault, France
    Access
  • Wikipedia (French) Oppidum de la Roque
    Wikipédia: L’encyclopédie libre que chacun peut améliorer (2001-), Oppidum de la Roque.
    Access

See Also

Names

Citation Information

S. Loseby. "La Roque" Pleiades, 22 March 2014. https://pleiades.stoa.org/places/148170.
Last modified: 2014-03-22T20:41:14Z

Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites (PECS)

PECS Reference

FABRÈGUES Hérault, France.

The oppidum of La Roque is on the La Gardiole hill W of Montpellier, on the edge of the coastal plain and 2 km S of the Via Domitia. The ancient texts contain no mention of the site, which is a barred spur with natural defenses on three sides. The fourth side is closed by three ramparts of dry stone, and in several places these ramparts are peculiar in having a triple-faced wall. The fortification can be dated between 425 and the first half of the 3d c. B.C.

A stratigraphical study of the pre-Roman site has distinguished three periods of occupation: La Roque III (end of the 5th to the beginning of the 4th c. B.C.) La Roque II (middle of the 4th c.) and La Roque I (end of the 4th c. to 250-230 B.C.). A few soundings revealed traces of Iron Age I. The destruction of the settlement should probably be attributed to the Volcae invasion in the 3d c. The most interesting finds are the altar-hearths—large slabs of baked clay decorated with geometric motifs which were placed in the middle of certain rooms in the settlement. These rooms also contained trivets and pots with pierced bottoms.

Excavation has revealed two residential sections, built of stone and laid out on a square or rectangular plan. Neither the necropolis nor any public monuments has yet been located.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gallia 12 (1954) 422-23; 14 (1956) 599-608; 17 (1959) 462-64; 20 (1962) 623-24; 22 (1964) 491; 24 (1966) 466; P. Larderet, “L'oppidum préromain de La Roque, commune de Fabrègues (Hérault),” ibid. 15 (1957) 1-39; id., “Les découvertes archéologiques de l'oppidum de La Roque (Hérault),” RStLig 23 (1957) 71-89.

J.-C.M. RICHARD

Location

43.5553, 3.8089