Oppidum des Mayans
MonumentHidden Treasure
Oppidum des Mayans, located in Septèmes-les-Vallons (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Septèmes-les-Vallons, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.3837, 5.3791
- Mérimée Reference
- PA13000025
A stone sentinel dating from the 6th century BC, the Mayan oppidum reveals a defensive system with a double enclosure that is unique in the south of France, and may bear witness to an unprecedented cohabitation between the indigenous population and the Greek garrison.
History
Perched on the heights of Septèmes-les-Vallons, on the outskirts of Marseille, the Mayans oppidum is one of the most enigmatic protohistoric sites in Provence. Built in the last third of the 6th century BC, it offers archaeologists and the curious a striking insight into the age of the first contacts between the Ligurian and Celtic populations of the hinterland and the Greek colonists freshly settled in Massalia - modern-day Marseille - founded around 600 BC. What makes the Mayans absolutely unique in the southern archaeological landscape is the sophistication of their defensive system. The oppidum was surrounded by a rampart punctuated by ten square towers, itself reinforced by a second inner wall forming a double concentric enclosure. This military system, which has no known equivalent in the south of France, bears witness to a mastery of fortified architecture that was remarkable for its time, and to an acute awareness of the strategic challenges facing the region. The spatial interpretation of the site is just as fascinating. The organisation of the living quarters - some housed between the two enclosures, others inside the central enclosure - has led researchers to formulate a bold hypothesis: two distinct communities would have cohabited on the site, an indigenous population occupying the periphery and a Greek garrison holding the summit. This architectural duality would make the Mayans one of the rare material testimonies to a cultural frontier being negotiated at the very start of the Phocaean colonisation of southern Gaul. A visit to the site, although lacking in preserved elevated superstructures - like most of the oppida from this period - remains a memorable experience for lovers of archaeology and ancient history. The remains emerging from the Mediterranean scrub, the dry stone alignments still tracing the contours of the rampart, and the promontory's dominant position over the surrounding plain are enough to bring home to the mind the power of this prehistoric stronghold. The natural setting, typically Provençal with its fragrant garrigue and umbrella pines, lends an atmosphere of authentic discovery, far removed from the tourist crowds.
Architecture
Mayan architecture is based on a fundamental principle: defence in depth. The outer perimeter is delimited by a rampart built of local dry stone - limestone and sandstone from the Étoile massif - reinforced by ten square towers set at regular intervals. This type of flanking with square towers, typical of archaic Mediterranean fortifications, meant that the blind spots in the rampart could be covered and defenders could be concentrated at strategic points along the route. Inside this first enclosure, a second concentrically arranged wall created an intermediate space - a sort of defensive corridor or buffer zone - between the two lines of fortifications. This space housed residential cells set against the outer wall, probably intended for an initial population. A second group of cells developed inside the central enclosure, on the highest point of the promontory. This layout of two superimposed rings of dwellings, unique in the context of the protohistoric Midi, is the site's most remarkable architectural signature. The construction techniques used - roughly cut rubble courses, dry mortarless bonding, elevations probably limited to a few metres - are in keeping with the tradition of indigenous Ligurian and Celto-Ligurian architecture in the region. The general orientation of the site takes advantage of the natural topography of the promontory, whose steep slopes in themselves constitute a first level of defence, making access difficult on three sides and concentrating the defensive effort built on the most practicable slopes.
Related Figures
Artisans ligures ou celto-ligures — bâtisseurs anonymes du rempart au VIe siècle av. J.-C.Colons phocéens de Massalia — possibles instigateurs ou occupants de la garnison au sommet de l'oppidumArchéologues de la Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles (DRAC PACA) — responsables des fouilles contemporaines ayant révélé la stratigraphie du siteAndré Nickels — préhistorien provençal dont les travaux sur les oppida du Midi ont contribué au cadre interprétatif des sites comme les MayansJean-Paul Clébert — auteur et géographe provençal ayant contribué à la documentation du patrimoine archéologique des Bouches-du-Rhône
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Oppidum des Mayans located?
Oppidum des Mayans is located in Septèmes-les-Vallons, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
Is Oppidum des Mayans open to visitors?
Oppidum des Mayans is currently closed to visitors.