LE SITE PRÉHISTORIQUE DE CAMBOUS
The prehistoric village of Cambous is considered "the oldest stone village in France"
Built nearly 5,000 years ago at Viols-en-Laval, the prehistoric village of Cambous is considered to be "the oldest stone village in France", if not in Europe! To get there, park in the free car park of the village of Viols-en-Laval. From this car park, a short walk of about 10 minutes through the garrigue will take you to the prehistoric site, an archaeological rarity still under study. The houses of the first peasants of the Languedoc, partly ruined but still visible, have been preserved there for thousands of years! Dating from the Copper Age (Chalcolithic, between 2800 and 2400 BC), they belonged to a brilliant community known as "de Fontbouisse". Unlike the Neolithic houses built in most parts of France, Cambous is not made of clay and wood, which are perishable materials, but of dry stone. The inhabitants lived there, as can be seen from the reconstruction in situ in these vast community huts, oval in plan, with dry-stone walls, and covered with branches.