Prehistory in the Pyrenees

Tautavel man....the most famous exhibit from ancient times in the Languedoc.He comes from Caune de L'Arago...a grotto from about 450,000 years ago. A skull plus smaller remains from other people were found here.

Agriculture developed around 7000 bc. Copper was worked around 2500 bc and bronze from 1500 bc. Iron workings, which are a speciality of the area appeared after about 850 bc.

The first recorded towns were Ruscino ...now Chateau Roussillon and Illiberis...now Elne.

Early people included the Sordes who lived along the coast based around Ruscino ( see above) and the Ceretes who lived on the Cerdagne plateau with Llivia as their capital ...although its original name was Julia Libica.

When Hannibal wished to take his army on to Rome , during the second Punic war, he negotiated passage through the Panissars ( Perthus) pass with a treaty agreed at Elne. This allowed 80,000 soldiers, 10,000 cavalrymen and 4o elephants to head for Rome.

In 121 bc the Romans invaded the south of France. The area was then named "Narbonnaise".After this the Via Domitia wasa built ( Domitian way). Also iron ore was mined at Canigou and an irrigation network was created ( Roman aquaduct ).

In 260 A.D. the Francs invaded Spain and then came through the Perthus pass.. The Town of Ruscino was destroyed.

In 462 A.D. when the Visigoth King, Theodorix II , ruled - the name Septimania was given to the Languedoc ..but excluded the Cerdagne. The Visigoths stayed for approximately 300 years. Another ruler was King Wamba. During this time Christianity arrived in the Languedoc.

Elne became Castrum Hellenae and the 1st Christian church was built in the 5th century.

Near the end of this time the Arabs invaded and drove out the Visigoths. However 40 years later they were driven back across the Perthus pass by Pepin le Bref.