Le dépôt de bronzes du site fluvial de La Motte à Agde (Hérault)

Abstract

The investigation of the river settlement of La Motte near Agde (Hérault, France) in 2004 led to the discovery of an important, undisturbed depot of bronze objects. The assemblage has not been restored in full, but the 330 objects already analysed allow a preliminary, synoptical proposal. Principally elements of clothing and costume are present, by which the rich ceremonial dress of a woman from the Languedoc of the Early Iron Age (8th or first half of 7th century B. C.) could be reconstructed. The typological analysis shows that the costume consists of a mixture of influences from the western and eastern Languedoc, the Provence and Liguria, as well as from Late Bronze Age traditional elements from eastern France and some typical objects of the Central European Hallstatt C period. It can be assumed that the native centre of Agde was of particular importance prior to the facies Grand Bassin I (second half of 7th / early 6th century B.C.) and the important, contemporary cemeteries. The investigation of the depot from La Motte has also stimulated
the comprehensive presentation of depots with elements of ceremonial female dress from the Early Bronze Age to the Hallstatt Period