Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The archaeological site of Lattara, located in Lattes (Occitanie), corresponds to an ancient port city mentioned by Latin authors such as Pomponius Mela and Pline the Elder. The site was discovered in 1963 by two school children who had found campanian ceramic teasses and was searched in 1964 under the direction of Henri Prades, a teacher and archaeologist. Its Gallic name, Latera, evokes a place near the marshes or river, reflecting its lagoon settlement.

The foundation of Lattara dates back to the sixth century BC, with a stone enclosure and houses, suggesting an Etruscan influence in its urbanization. Graffitis in the Etruscan language, unique in France, were discovered there. The city experienced a major expansion in the 4th–IIIth century BC under Marseille control, then in the 2nd century BC, reaching 20 hectares. Its lagoon port, adapted to the Mediterranean trade, housed artisanal corporations (otter manufacturers, naval carpenters).

The excavations since 1983, led by Michel Py (CNRS) and Dominique Garcia, revealed a protohistoric habitat organized in neighbourhoods, with inner courtyard houses reserved for the elite. A necropolis of the Upper Empire (171 burials) and Roman warehouses near the port testify to its economic dynamism. The site, classified as a Historic Monument in 2003, now houses a museum run by the community of Montpellier, valuing 60 years of archaeological research.

The importance of Lattara lies in its role as a cultural crossroads between Gauls, Etruscans, Greeks and Romans. The objects discovered (furniture, epigraphy) and the harbour structures (pontons on stilts) illustrate its adaptation to the lagoon environment. The museum exhibits these remains, while international school yards (universities of Barcelona, Chicago, Naples) perpetuate the excavations, making Lattara a reference for Mediterranean archaeology.

The toponym Lattara (of the Gaulese are-latis, "in front of the marshes") reflects its original environment, marked by ponds today reduced. The first traces of occupation date back to the Middle Neolithic, with a recovery to the final Bronze before the urban foundation. The partial abandonment of fortifications in the High Empire and the Lez pipeline mark its evolution under Roman rule, although few typical public monuments have been identified.

Today, the archaeological complex combines research (CNRS, universities) and mediation, with temporary reconstructions and exhibitions. The management by Montpellier Métropole since 2006 has boosted its development, highlighting its status as the largest archaeological site in the Midi de la France. Scientific publications (reviewed Lattara, works by Michel Py) and online resources (Lattara.net) document its history, from Etruscan exchanges to Roman integration.

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