Occupying the Provençal Hinterland: An analysis of the Iron Age oppida in mainland Provence

The Iron Age hillfort phenomenon, or the ‘oppidum’ as it is referred to in mainland Europe, represents an important shift in the spatial and political dynamics in the areas where they can be found but despite the archaeological research going as far back as the 19th century, there still exist debates surrounding their function and what role they ultimately played in the socioeconomic dynamics of the people constructing and inhabiting them. In southern France we find them scattered across a frontier connecting the Ligurian and Celtic people to the Etruscans and to the Eastern Mediterranean through the Greek settlers who, after the foundation of Massalia around 600 B.C, form a permanent presence greatly influencing the material repertoire of the indigenous populace. Through the interactions between the occupants of the oppida with their local surroundings as well as with foreign cultures, and through the analysis of these monumental structures, it can be seen that the military...Show moreThe Iron Age hillfort phenomenon, or the ‘oppidum’ as it is referred to in mainland Europe, represents an important shift in the spatial and political dynamics in the areas where they can be found but despite the archaeological research going as far back as the 19th century, there still exist debates surrounding their function and what role they ultimately played in the socioeconomic dynamics of the people constructing and inhabiting them. In southern France we find them scattered across a frontier connecting the Ligurian and Celtic people to the Etruscans and to the Eastern Mediterranean through the Greek settlers who, after the foundation of Massalia around 600 B.C, form a permanent presence greatly influencing the material repertoire of the indigenous populace. Through the interactions between the occupants of the oppida with their local surroundings as well as with foreign cultures, and through the analysis of these monumental structures, it can be seen that the military function can be put into question and that the symbolic value may have been a more important factor to their builders.Show less

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Occupying the Provençal Hinterland: An analysis of the Iron Age oppida in mainland Provence