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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

L'oppidum du Baou-Roux is a former Celto-ligure site, more specifically Salyen, located on the Massif de l'Étoile, north of Marseille. Occupied from the seventh century B.C.E., it was destroyed in 124 B.C. by the Romans. This small 2 hectare plateau, bordered by a 40-metre cliff, served as a strategic point between the Marseille basin and the Arc valley. Its fertile soil allowed a continuous farming operation, reusing even the stones of the walls after the abandonment of the site.

The first archaeological explorations date back to 1856, with a note by Benoni Blanc mentioning a millstone fragment. At the end of the 19th century, the Tennevin family, owner of the land, collected objects on the surface and undertook scattered excavations. In 1903, Félix Tennevin discovered a female skeleton decorated with bronze bracelets and iron rings, suggesting a ritual burial. In the same year, the Count of Gérin-Ricard and G. Vasseur conducted campaigns, publishing results on the ligure industry in Provence.

In the 1960s, Jean-Pierre Tennevin, grandson of Felix, carried out methodical excavations to the northeast of the plateau. He brought to light an archaeological stratum rich in debris from the 6th and 7th centuries B.C., as well as a neighborhood organized in "cases" and "streets", revealing a real Salyan urbanization. His work, published in 1972, remained a reference for the study of the site, supplemented later by excavations C81 (1981-1996).

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