Abstract
The economic development which happened in the town of Montpellier in the 13th century has often been associated with the development of its coastal area. Yet the influence of the new metropolis extends into its nearby hinterland. At the beginning of the 13th century the consuls of Montpellier exploited the forest resources of an area of Mediterranean scrubland named the " Bois de Valène ". A recent collective study now lets us into the history of this area through a long time-span. The scrubland around Montpellier wasn't just restricted to pastoral uses. Between the 5th and 16th centuries A.D., the areas around the " Bois de Valène " and Saugras were exploited in many different ways. Ironworks, coal furnaces, rural glassworks and pottery kilns amongst others show that these areas, considered as marginal, weren't motionless spaces. Archaeological discoveries, written records and laboratory analyses now offer cross-readings which let light into a part of these realia, more often than not known through extremely fleeting artefacts.