E. Gailledrat, N. Anwar, A. Beylier, A-M. Curé, H. Duday, S. Munos, A. Vacherat, "Victorious and Defeated - Warfare, Rituals and Funerary Practices at the End of the 3rd Century BC in Pech Maho (Aude, France)", Ancient West & East 16, 2017, p. 113-138
Abstract :
The coastal emporion of Pech Maho (Aude, France) suffered a brutal destruction just before 200 BC. Recent excavations allow us to reconsider what was previously interpreted as a simple ‘war layer’. Two phases have to be distinguished: one related to an act of war, another related to a short reoccupation preceding the abandonment of the settlement. A set of ritual practices characterise the latter, with evidence of banquets preceded by animal sacrifice, and a collective funerary pyre. This ritualistic closure of the site is clearly linked to the very special conditions surrounding its destruction and the status of those who died there.
