• The Prehistory

Man always liked Provence as relics show it: tools, remains discovered in caves… In the Neolithic, the first pastors come to make graze their herds in Alps; Perhaps these shepherds who engraved in rocks the mysterious faces which they can admire. In Luberon, they can discover stony shacks which take back up the XVIth century probably. They can enumerate 3000. Some of these shacks were restored but their origin and their destination remain mysterious.

• Celts and Ligures:

Since 1800 av J-C, the manufacture of bronzes develops. During this period, Provence appears to have been occupied by Ligures which are the descendants of the autochthonous populations. But, these last, are going to be dominated little by little between VIIIth century and the IVth century before J-C by the Celts. Therefore, the first inhabitants of Provence were Ligures then Celts. They intertwine and oppose but they also blend.

• Influence Grecque:

600 before J-C, the city of Marseilles is founded by Grecs who come from the city of Phocée. They evict very fast Etrusques which would have acknowledged the mouth of Hérault at the same time and left the traces of their passage near the cities of Agde and Pèzenas. Massalia, had et has a good strategical position by the maritime roads of Occident and became a very important shopping centre. The Greeks strengthen the city, construct different warehouses, a harbour, bring until then unknown foodstuffs of the inhabitants of the country; so the wine and the oil of olive make their appearance in Provence. From Marseilles, the cities of the coastal region such as Nice, Antibes, Hyères are founded; them objectives was to trade trade. So, they create influence, but not centres of population;besides there will be not Greek province and Celtic or ligures province. Relations between these three populations are not always in the fine weather…..