Prehistory of France in the context of "La Tène period"

The La Tène culture (/ləˈtɛn/; French pronunciation: [la tɛn]) was a European Iron Age culture. It developed and flourished during the late Iron Age (from about 450 BC to the Roman conquest in the 1st century BC), succeeding the early Iron Age Hallstatt culture without any definite cultural break, under considerable Mediterranean influence from the Greeks in pre-Roman Gaul, the Etruscans, and the Golasecca culture, but whose artistic style nevertheless did not depend on those Mediterranean influences.

La Tène culture's territorial extent corresponded to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, England, Southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Northern Italy and Central Italy, Slovenia, Hungary and Liechtenstein, as well as adjacent parts of the Netherlands, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Transylvania (western Romania), and Transcarpathia (western Ukraine). The Celtiberians of western Iberia shared many aspects of the culture, though not generally the artistic style. To the north extended the contemporary Pre-Roman Iron Age of Northern Europe, including the Jastorf culture of Northern Germany and Denmark and all the way to Galatia in Asia Minor (today Turkey).

History of Provence encompasses the entire history of Provence, stretching from the protohistoric times up to the contemporary period. As a historical region, Provence is located within borders of the modern administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in the southeast corner of France, between the Alps, the Mediterranean Sea, the river Rhône and the upper reaches of the river Durance. The region was inhabited since the prehistoric times. From about 900 BCE, it was settled by the Celts, and also by Greek colonists, from about 600 BCE. At the end of the 2nd century BCE, it was conquered by the Romans, who ruled the region until the 5th century CE. In the first half of the 6th century, it came under the Frankish rule, and was organized in time as the County of Provence. After the dissolution of the Carolingian Empire, it became part of the Kingdom of Lower Burgundy (since 879), the Welfish Kingdom of Burgundy (since 933), and the Kingdom of Burgundy (Arles) within the Holy Roman Empire from 1032 up to the 1486, when the County was united with the Kingdom of France. During those periods, it was ruled by the Counts of Provence from various feudal families. Provence has been a part of France for over 500 years, but the region kept a specific cultural identity that persists to this day, particularly in the interior.