Oppidum de Verduron

The Oppidum de Verduron is a fortified Celto-Ligurian settlement on Verduron Hill in Marseille's 15th arrondissement, at 195m elevation. Founded in the late 3rd century BC and abandoned by the early 2nd century BC, it had a remarkably brief occupation of barely twenty years. The 1,200 m2 site features a defensive wall of raw stone bound with clay, 36 residential cells in terraced formations, and a 12x12m square structure at the summit. It was violently destroyed, likely by forces equipped with catapults. Excavated 1999-2003, it was listed as a monument historique in 2004. Artifacts are displayed at the Marseille History Museum.