Old Habitat Traces Néolithique final (≈ 2770 av. J.-C.)
Pre-Protohistory Presence
850-425 av. J.-C.
Period of intensive occupation
Period of intensive occupation 850-425 av. J.-C. (≈ 638 av. J.-C.)
Age of Bronze and First Iron Age
2009
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 2009 (≈ 2009)
Protection of remains by ministerial decree
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The protohistoric site (Box B 82, 84, 97, 85, 87 to 90, 1369, 91, 98, 99, 101, 1311, 100, 102): registration by order of 11 August 2009
Key figures
Information non disponible - No historical character cited
Archaeological sources only
Origin and history
Cordouls, located in Puylaurens, Tarn, Occitanie, is one of the most important protohistoric sites in the region. It was occupied intensively between 850 and 425 B.C.E. and marked the transition from Bronze Age to the First Iron Age. Its defensive system combines a natural cliff and an artificial earth rise, testifying to an advanced community organization for the time. Archaeological prospecting revealed remains of potter and metallurgical workshops, as well as ceramics imported from Etrussia and Attica, highlighting distant trade.
The excavations also revealed traces of a habitat dating back to the final Neolithic period, prior to the peak period of the oppidum. This site thus illustrates a continuous human occupation over several millennia, with a particular concentration during the Protohistory. The protected elements, registered in 2009, cover an area including communal and private parcels, reflecting its heritage importance.
The localization of the poppidum, on a rocky spur, makes it a typical example of the fortified settlements of this period, designed to control territories and routes of communication. Its archaeological furniture, diversified and partially imported, attests to a society prioritised and connected to Mediterranean networks, despite its relative geographical distance.
The accuracy of its current location is considered fair (note 5/10), and the site remains partially accessible, although distributed between private and communal properties. Its designation as Historic Monuments in 2009 aims to preserve this exceptional heritage, while limiting the risks associated with its variable conservation status.
