Final Neolithic and Chalcolithic Occupancy entre 2500 et 1500 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Main period of habitat and activity on site.
XVIIe–XIXe siècles
Modern Reoccupation
Modern Reoccupation XVIIe–XIXe siècles (≈ 1865)
Second phase of use of the site.
20 décembre 1991
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 20 décembre 1991 (≈ 1991)
Full protection of the archaeological site.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The entire archaeological site (Case D1 108, 129; AK 55, 56): inscription by order of 20 December 1991
Origin and history
The archaeological site of the Grand Devois (or Devès) of Figaret, classified as Historic Monument, extends over approximately 7.5 hectares on the upper plateau of a hill near Castries, in the Hérault. It consists of nine distinct archaeological entities, illustrating two major phases of occupation: the final Neolithic and Chalcolithic (between 2500 and 1500 B.C.), and then a re-use in the 17th to 19th centuries. These remains reveal ways of life adapted to the arid environments of the Mediterranean garrigue, with traces of habitats, domestic activities and perhaps ritual.
The site was fully protected by a registration order on 20 December 1991, covering cadastral parcels D1 108, 129 and AK 55, 56. Although its exact location is considered "fair" (note 5/10), it remains a major testimony of regional prehistory, linked to the ancient exploitation of local resources. The data available are mainly from the Merimée database and Monumentum, without details of its current accessibility to the public.
The final neolithic period in Languedoc-Roussillon (now Occitanie) corresponds to a phase of increased sedentarization, with the development of agriculture, livestock and pottery. Sites like Figaret, perched and strategic, suggest a collective organization to manage drylands, while modern reoccupations indicate continuity of use of dominant spaces, probably for pastoral or monitoring activities.
