Proto-history (= "First" History) : some people, from Crete and Roma, start to write on themself and on other people.
Aquitans
and Indo-europeans
At the begining, in the same furnaces than those used for potteries, men (under the influence of pontic tribes) start to cast metals, to process jewels, then arms (lance point, dagger, sword, helmet)...
1°) - 2500 B.C. : Copper Age (or chalcolithic) : copper, gold, silver are casted - and moulded - at 1000°C about. People from SOM (Seine-Oise-Marne) create the "Isle-Dordogne" culture, but are at last beaten off.
- 2 100 B.C. : farmers, and copper "steelworkers" at Fontbuisse (Gard) ; - 1 800 B.C. : copper metallurgy in Médoc (Bordeaux).
2°) -2000 B.C. : Bronze Age, alloy of copper and tin, harder than pure copper : sword production, villages on mound, or are fortified. Tumulus civilisation (burial) is followed by Urn civilisation (cremation) : potteries in the ground, as campaniform ceramics. After the potter wheel, the wheel ; first chariot. Le tour du potier donne la roue ; représentation de chars. Villages on lakes, as in Sanguinet.
3°) -800 B.C. : Iron (and Celtic) Age : iron has to be casted at 1500 °C, decarburazed and forged. Some Celts can have gone across South West of France to go and colonize Spain.
- 600 B.C.: Ligurians settle from
Mediterranean sea to Agen country until VI century ; Basc people
settle at the bottom of the Pyrenees.
- 500 B.C. : Ligurians are beaten by Iberics or Celtiberics in Aquitain land, and by Galls (Gallics) or Northern Celtics in Massif Central mountains, all from indo-europeans cultures : Pictons, Lémovices, Santons and Petrocores.
On mediterranean sea, Phoenicians found Port-Vendres, and Greeks Agde (Agathe), Arles (Théline), Rosas (Rhoda). Greeks trade (wine and pottery imports, wheat, wine and metals exports) and show coins.
- 500/-200 B.C. : Languedoc conquest by GALLICS (roman name for Celtics). At bout -250, VOLQUES, northern gallic tribe, invide Toulouse (Tectosages, "land seeker"?) and Nîmes (Arecomics).
some gallic (north of the Garonne river) and celtiberic or basc ? (at the south of the Garonne) tribes ; about 10 millions of inhabitants on the whole Gaul land :
| powerful ARVERNES | from Gergovie |
| GABALI | in Cevennes and Gevaudan |
| RUTENES | in Rouergue |
| CADURCI | in Quercy (capital: Divona Cadurcorum) |
| PETROCORII | in Perigord et north of Agen (capital Vesunna, today Périgueux) |
| BITURIGES VIBISCI | in Bordeaux, the "world kings" (bitu : world; riges : kings) |
| GARUMNI | in Entre deux mers |
| SIBUZATES or BOII | around Arcachon basin (at la Teste du Buch) |
| VASATES or BASATES | capital Cossio, today Bazas |
| NITIOBRIGES | in Agenais, Condomois and Armagnac |
| COCOSATES or DACII | close to Dax |
| ELUZATES | capitale Elusa, aujourd'hui Eause |
| TARUSATES | near Tartas |
| SONTIATES | around Lectoure |
| AUSCII ou GARITES | close to Auch |
| CONSERANI | near Couzeran |
| TARBELLI | around Bayonne, et in the Landes |
| PRECIANI ou BENEARNI | in Bearn |
| ATTURENSES | close to Aire |
| BIGERRI | in Bigorre (Tarbes land) |
| CONVENAE | au pays de Comminges land, at the bottom of Pyrenaci montains (capital Lugdunum Canvenarum) |
| HELEUTERI ou CAMBALECTRI | close to Albi and Castres |
| VOLCAE | inhabitants from Haut and Bas Languedoc |
-III/-II
century : fondation of Burdigala (Bordeaux), wich is
part of the control the road between the Atlantic Ocean and
Mediterranean Sea (80 km from Garonne to Aude) : exchange of tin
(necessary to process bronze) from Great Britain (and maybe
yellow amber from Baltic sea) versus Italian wine. Peacefull
period, and greco-latin influence. -218 : Hannibal phoenician,
with an 60 000 warriors and 37 elephants army, skirt
Mediterranean to march on Roma (Roma fight Carthage in the
leadership in Spain), and leave some troops under Hannon command
to secure his retreat in case of defeat.