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Origin and history

The Oppidum de la Cloche is a major archaeological site located in the Pennes-Mirabeau, on the edge of the Rove, in Bouches-du-Rhône. Placed on a hillside of the Nerthe massif, it controlled an ancient route between the Berre pond and Marseilles. Founded in the third century B.C., it was completely redesigned in the 1st century B.C. before being destroyed in -49 during the siege of Massilia by Julius Caesar's troops. Its abandonment marks the end of its strategic role in the region, then under Massaliot influence.

The excavations, initiated in the 1960s after illegal looting prior to 1946, revealed two major phases. From 1967 to 1972, archaeologists explored the access road, the fortified entrance and the northeast quarter. A second campaign (from 1972) revealed a neighbourhood near the entrance, while the 1990s confirmed the presence of a cultural space at the top. The site, classified as a historical monument in 2004, offers a rare example of protohistoric urban planning, with terraced dwellings, rock-cut walls and two distinct accesses: a steep road defended by a tower, and a south-west ridge protected by ice.

Among the emblematic discoveries is a fragmentary statue of sitting warrior (IIIth century B.C.), similar to those of the intermont oppidum. The fragments, including the head and an arm decorated with an engraved ring, evoke salyen warrior rites, such as human skulls exposed to the entrances to intimidate. A 60,000-litre tank, coated with lime mortar (a first for an oppidum), and tools or weapons complete the remains. These elements, exhibited at the Musée d'histoire de Marseille, bear witness to a late reconstruction (late 2nd century BC) possibly linked to the threat of the Cimbres et Teutons in 101 BC, before the definitive abandonment around -50.

The site illustrates the transition between the Iron Age and Romanization, during a pivotal period when Marseille dominated the region. Its destruction coincides with the fall of Massilia, marking the end of the independent oppida under Massaliot control. The excavations of Louis Chabot, covering almost half of the site, revealed a fortification punctuated with square towers and a forewall, as well as a network of stairway streets adapted to the slope. The communal property Lsoppidum remains an exceptional testimony of Salyan architecture and cultural practices before the Roman conquest.

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