Spatio-temporal analysis of settlements from the Iron Age to the High Middle Ages in the south of France: the Vidourle valley

Overview & Synopsis

From its source to the Mediterranean Sea, the Vidourle valley, 95 km long, meets the various landscapes of the low-Languedoc géo-system. Through its journey, the river runs across the Cévennes (a small chain of mountains), the karstik hills, the garrigue and the Camargue. This very rich natural environment is a perfect field for spatio-temporal analysis of settlements from the Iron Age to the High Middle Ages. Occupied since millenaries, this valley is of great archaeological wealth and allow us to question the behavior of man towards a river, through his travels and his way to develop the land, but also provides some answers on the roles of streams in this development. Based on many already advanced archaeological works (excavations, surveys, geomorphological analysis), this study was completed by new fieldworks in the upper valley of the river, expanding our knowledge of the settlement and helping us to provide a database of 832 archeological sites on which this analysis is based. Combining archeology, history and geography, along with the use of well known methods of studies (G.I.S, statistics, etc.), this research highlights the desire to offer a review of the issue of dynamics in valley of Vidourle. The broad chronological framework strengthens this desire and gives a more complete picture of the history of human occupation.