First human traces 50 000 ans (Paléolithique) (≈ 1505000 av. J.-C.)
Alex tools discovered on the site.
IXe–VIe siècle av. J.-C.
Protohistoric Fossus
Protohistoric Fossus IXe–VIe siècle av. J.-C. (≈ 551 av. J.-C.)
Construction of 25 ha insulated barred spur.
1275
Foundation of Castetcrabe
Foundation of Castetcrabe 1275 (≈ 1275)
Bastide unfinished ordered by Edward I.
XIe–XIVe siècle
Medieval castrals
Medieval castrals XIe–XIVe siècle (≈ 1450)
Four mots and defensive ditches erected.
11 septembre 1997
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 11 septembre 1997 (≈ 1997)
Registration of the site by ministerial decree.
2 avril 2016
Inauguration urban natural park
Inauguration urban natural park 2 avril 2016 (≈ 2016)
Integration at Parc du Marsan.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Site of the medieval enclosure (Box C 425, 427): inscription by order of 11 September 1997
Key figures
Philippe Gardes - Archeoanthropologist (INRAP)
Searches of 1991–1992 revealing protohistoric occupations.
Édouard Ier d'Angleterre - King-duke of Aquitaine
Ordonna la bastide Castetcrabe in 1275.
Origin and history
The medieval enclosure of Castets, on the commune of Bougue (Landes), is a major archaeological site occupying a natural spur overlooking the confluence of Ludon and Midou. The excavations carried out in 1991-1992 by Philippe Gardes (INRAP) revealed successive occupations since the Protohistory, with a defensive ditch dating from the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age (IXth–VIth century BC). This system, called a barred spur, isolated a space of 25 hectares west of the plateau, testifying to the first human fortifications on the site.
In medieval times, the site was distinguished by the construction of four castral mounds (two main and two secondary), integrated into a complex defensive network designed to control access roads and waterways, including the Midou. These developments, dated between the 11th and 14th centuries, reflect the struggles of influence between the local lords of Bougue, Agos and Meignos. An unfinished bastide, Castetcrabe, ordered in 1275 by Edward I of England, illustrates the political tensions of the time, its rapid decline being attributed to the opposition of the Viscount of Marsan and its economic isolation.
The Castets plateau, shaped by millennia of human occupation, also houses protohistoric remains such as wooden and earth habitats, as well as traces of paleolithic activities (a flint tool dated 50,000 years). In the 19th century, stone quarries, now abandoned, were operated for local railways. The site, classified in 1997 and integrated into the Marsan Urban Natural Park in 2016, combines archaeological heritage and biodiversity, with protected species such as the murine d'Alcathoe or the black milan.
Its exceptional relief, between the Landes de Roquefort and the country of Marsan, makes it a strategic place since the Prehistory. Neolithic tumuli, medieval ditches and castral mots make it a unique landscape set in France, where military history, artisanal activities (careers) and contemporary ecological issues combine. The source of the Curé and the Loup Cave, potentially used as a weapon cache during the Second World War, add to its heritage wealth.
