Oppidum d’Altimurium
Encyclopedia
The Oppidum d’Altimurium, also known as the Oppidum Murviel-les-Montpellier, is an ancient hill-town (or oppidum
) near the village of Murviel-lès-Montpellier
, France
, located between Montpellier
and Béziers
.
The site, which overlooks the Montpellier garrigue
at 190m altitude and covers about 20 hectares, is one of the largest hill forts in the region, on par with those of Ensérune
or Ambrussum
.
It was founded in the 2nd century BC, and was protected by a 1st century BC wall almost 2 km long. The city was divided into two zones: the upper town atop the hill and the lower town on the slopes, down almost to the present town of Murviel-les-Montpellier.
The Roman monumental area, located between the upper town and lower town of the oppidum, contains a square 75m long, rooms built against the hill, 2 large porches arranged on each side of the square, and a large building of the Corinthian order which was probably a temple.
Much of the site is now protected and is open to the public as a major historical site in the Montpellier region. In 2009, excavations were still in progress. An archaeological museum with some artifacts from the site is located in Murviel-les-Montpellier.
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
) near the village of Murviel-lès-Montpellier
Murviel-lès-Montpellier
Murviel-lès-Montpellier is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France.The Oppidum d’Altimurium, also known as the Oppidum Murviel-les-Montpellier, is an ancient hill-town located near the village....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, located between Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
and Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
.
The site, which overlooks the Montpellier garrigue
Garrigue
Garrigue or phrygana is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. It is found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast, where the climate is ameliorated, but where annual summer...
at 190m altitude and covers about 20 hectares, is one of the largest hill forts in the region, on par with those of Ensérune
Oppidum d'Ensérune
The Oppidum d'Ensérune is an ancient hill-town near the village of Nissan-lez-Ensérune, France, located between Béziers and Narbonne close to the D609 and Canal du Midi....
or Ambrussum
Ambrussum
Ambrussum is a Roman archaeological site in Villetelle, Hérault département, in southern France.It is close to the modern town Lunel, between Nîmes and Montpellier...
.
It was founded in the 2nd century BC, and was protected by a 1st century BC wall almost 2 km long. The city was divided into two zones: the upper town atop the hill and the lower town on the slopes, down almost to the present town of Murviel-les-Montpellier.
The Roman monumental area, located between the upper town and lower town of the oppidum, contains a square 75m long, rooms built against the hill, 2 large porches arranged on each side of the square, and a large building of the Corinthian order which was probably a temple.
Much of the site is now protected and is open to the public as a major historical site in the Montpellier region. In 2009, excavations were still in progress. An archaeological museum with some artifacts from the site is located in Murviel-les-Montpellier.