The Tombs of leaders of the Elisyque peoples, Mailhac - an archeological exhibition
First presented in the summer of 2001, these wonderful objects from our prehistoric ancestors are again on view to the public. Up to 2 September, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays from 2pm to 7pm and Sundays from 10am to 7pm
Commune :	Mailhac	Funerary urne : from élisyque tomb, Mailhac
Location :	In the Salle des fêtes, centre of the village.
Dates :	to 2nd September, 2002
Times :	Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays : afternoons from 2pm to 7 pm Sundays from 10am to 7pm
Tarif :	normal 5 euros   reduced rate 3.5 euros : students, children < 16 yrs, unemployed, rmistes, familles nombreuses   free : children < 8 yrs groups : 35 euros for 10 persons
Guided visits :	in English, German, Spanish by prior booking possibility for groups in the mornings, by prior booking
Contacts :	0681 77 27 69 0620 71 04 28 email : asso.erasm@wanadoo.fr
Comments :	Mailhac, a small village in the Minervois, is home to one of the most important archeological sites in Europe concerning a relatively unknown period, the Proto-history. The Proto-history is the period between the Pre-history and historic times, covering the 'metal' ages (Bronze Age and Iron Age, and in western Europe it includes the last thousand years BC. From the late Bronze Age (around 900 BC), Mailhac was one of the 'towns' of the Elisyque civilisation, a warrior people living in the Aude basin. Situated at the crossroads of influence of the Phonecian world, of Cyprus, of Italy, of Greece and of Spain, Mailhac was their equivalent of the Greek Etruscan communities.

The exhibition which runs from 23 June to 30 September, 2001, presents for the first time, a selection of the abundant and exceptional collection resulting from over 70 years of archeological digs on the residential sites and proto-historic malhacienne crematory necropoles. These necropoles extend over some fifteen hectares for an estimated 5000 tombs. The exhibition, while including the habitation, is essentially centred on the world of the malhacien dead and in particular that of the Elisyque leaders. It consists of some 300 metallic ogjects (bronze and iron) and around a 100 pots. Some of these objects are exceptional, as for example the metal bits for horses which are among the oldest in France, daggers, bronze razors, funerary urns, ...

Continuing research on these spectacular sites together with the mass of documentation collected over so many years gives Mailhac a scientific and museographic potential of the first order.

Today, to turn this heritage to good account by the development of its educational and cultural value has to be considered as a priority.

Elisyque tomb under excavation, Mailhac

The proto-historic habitations and necropoles at Mailhac : 900-600 B.C.

The commune of Mailhac is situated in the sud of France, more precisely in the lower Languedoc Audois. This region has been constantly occupied by man throughout all periods. However, it is the proto-historic periods which are the most important and the best known.

During the proto-historic period (the last thousand years B.C.), Mailhac and its surroundings were occupied by a civilisation that Greek and Latin texts (Milet's Hecate, Herodytus, Etienne of Byzance) referred to as the Elisyques.

Archeological research has revealed the different phases of development of the habitations and their contemporary crematory necroples, from 900 to 600 BC for the collections presented in this exhibition.

The proto-historic necropoles occupy the whole of the plain (several tens of hectares). Up to the present time, more than 400 sepultures have been excavated and it is estimated that there remain about another 1000 tombs of this period to be discovered.

After many tens of years of excavations, an exceptional archeological collection has been gathered together. The archeological sites at Mailhac and in particular, the necropoles, permit an overall understanding of the proto-historic societies in the Languedoc.

The exhibition is organised by :

• Sponsor : Association Erasm
• Design : Cabinet de Consultant Culturel, Emmanuelle Capo and Julie Pace
• Support from : Ministry of Culture and Comunication, Ministry of Research
• Production of showcases : Menuiserie Fabre (Bize-Minervois)
• Photography : Loïc Damelet
• Artwork : Christian Bonifas, Hélène Fabre, Laurence Meslin (CNRS/ Languedoc- Roussillon)
• Sound : Lionel Camps Stud'yo
• Video : Luc Bazin (ARIS / Montpellier)

Partners

• Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles Languedoc-Roussillon, Service Régional de l'Archéologie
• CNRS, UMR 154, Lattes, Hérault
• Municipalité de Mailhac
• Conseil Régional du Languedoc-Roussillon (Mission Culture Scientifique)
• DRRT (délégation Régionale à la Recherche et la Technologie)
• Conseil Général de l'Aude

Detail of decoration on Elisyque pot, Mailhac

Metal objects from Elisyque tomb, Mailhac