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Origin and history

The Mont-Pezou, located in Vallauris in the Alpes-Maritimes, is an archaeological site identified by Paul Sénequier in 1882. The top of the hill (269.9 m above sea level) is girded by a wall with a double facing of 500 m of circumference, kept 2 to 3 m high. The excavations carried out by Maurice Sechter in the 1960s revealed vestiges dating back to the age of the final bronze (weighing 0.90 m deep), although the precise dating of the enclosure remains uncertain (Bronze Age or Second Iron Age).

The Roman occupation of the oppidum is attested by discoveries of currencies (including those of Tetricus), sigillated pottery and glassware of the third century. The site was destroyed at the end of the Roman Empire, as evidenced by these artifacts. Land containing the remains was protected by two inscriptions to historical monuments, in 1978 and 1983, covering specific parcels (cadastre AD, AE, AI, D).

The first scientific studies date back to the beginning of the 20th century, with the work of the colonel of the City of Avray around 1900. The Sechter (1964-1965) polls revealed abundant furniture (ceramics, metal objects, coins), suggesting a continuous occupation since the Second Iron Age. Despite these discoveries, the absence of recent excavations limits the accuracy of the exact origins of the site, including the date of construction of its enclosure.

Mont-Pezou illustrates the strategic importance of oppida ligures in the region, serving as a refuge and a place to control the routes of communication. Its position at the edge of the Cannet reinforces its role in ancient territorial dynamics, between local influences and progressive Roman domination.

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