Pech Maho, Iron Age archaeological site in Sigean, France.
Pech Maho is a fortified oppidum on a hill near the Berre River, covering about 1.5 hectares with defensive walls and structures. The archaeological remains show how an Iron Age settlement was organized with living areas and protective fortifications.
The oppidum was established in the 6th century BC and served for several centuries as a trading post connecting Etruscans, Greeks, Carthaginians, and local populations. Its destruction in the 3rd century BC marked the end of this important Mediterranean trade center.
Excavations revealed that residents performed complex rituals combining human burials with animal bone offerings in their ceremonies. These discoveries show how important religious practices were to the Iron Age community that lived there.
You can visit the site through guided tours that depart from the Sigean museum, which provides context for what you see on the hill. Plan your visit for summer months or the last Saturday of each month when tours are regularly organized.
A lead sheet bearing a commercial message in archaic Ionic Greek from the 5th century BC was discovered here, proving the site was part of Mediterranean trade networks. The artifact shows the kind of written communication merchants used to conduct business across the sea.
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