Perched on a rocky promontory a dozen kilometers from Béziers, at the crossroads of land and sea routes, Ensérune was probably one of the most important oppidia of the French Mediterranean area.Vestiges at the site are characteristic of pre-Roman dwellings in the south of France. Pottery found in excavations carried out since 1915 reveals a gradual mixing between Celtiberian populations and Mediterranean civilizations. Occupation of the site corresponds to three periods. The first began in the sixth century B.C. Simple dwellings in loam were scattered here and there and a number of silos dug into the tuff were used to store food. The Hellenic period (500 to 300 B.C.) featured the development of trade and ushered in a new era of prosperity. Buildings were made of stone, the town organization improved and an enclosure was built. With the arrival of the Gauls between 300 and 250, the town grew and was enhanced with terraces and cisterns. The incineration necropolis, which had been built between the fourth and third centuries B.C., was abandoned. At the end of the third century, the oppidum was destroyed. However, it became prosperous once again after the Romans founded Narbonne in 118 B.C. Then the town disappeared, probably during the first century A.D.All the archeological remains discovered at the site are now displayed in remarkable museum collections.
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