An exceptional funerary ensemble from the Iron Age (IX-VIIth century BC) in Languedoc (Puisserguier, Hérault)

Used without interruption from the IX^th to the end of the VIIth century BC, the Puisserguier necropolis distinguishes itself with its perfectly preserved state. Here lies the plan of the protohistorical necropolis of the Midi in France as a whole. It contains 235 tombs that offer insights into the funerary practices and the social organization of a cemetery, as well as the indigenous identity of communities that lived in the south of Gaul just before the beginning of the Greek colonisation.

This new necropolis falls under a category primarily identified at Mailhac (Aude), Agde (Hérault) but also in the more northern regions such as Castres (Tarn). The originality of this intervention lies in the integral exploration of the necropolis, which will allow to study in a precise and detailed way the chronological evolution of the funerary practices. 

Only adults are cremated in this necropolis community. In western Languedoc, during the entire protohistory, cremation was the exclusive practice. It totally replaced other practices related to burial and continued until the Roman conquest. Marked by mounds of earth and stone, the tombs are constructed as deep circular graves that are closed by a heavy stone slab. They are placed in the centre of circular or rectangular stone enclosures and displayed along small paths. No burial abuts the neighbouring burial. Situated in the heart of the necropolis, two tombs differentiate themselves in that they have a more complex and important construction, indicating the high rank of the deceased. 

The sepulchral deposit is located at the bottom of the grave. Generally, it is composed of a burial vase in which the ashes of the deceased and his personal belongings (small knives, bracelets, toilette articles, clothing accessories, fibulas, and harness pieces…), as well as accompanying vases, were placed. The burial vase and its contents correspond to the personal sphere of the deceased, whereas the accompanying vases correspond to collective practices. In Puisserguier, each tomb contains on average 20 vases, and some of them up to 55 of them. In total, the number of vases can be estimated at 4000, and the number of small metallic objects at 600. All the accompanying vases are deposited with a particular logic that suggests the use of genuine funerary crockery.

This is one of the first times in France that a necropolis from this era presents such a spectacular ensemble of the Iron Age. The first results show that after the burials, the burial place continued to be frequented and taken care of. The care given to the construction of the tombs, the good management of burial space and also the exceptional quality of preservation, make Puisserguier's necropolis a national reference.