Bages, Aude  Bages ("Bajas" in Occitan) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as "Bageois" or "Bageoises". Bages is located in the urban area of Narbonne on the Canal de la Robine and the "Étang de Bages-Sigean" (Bages-Sigean Lake) some 6 km south-west of Narbonne and 9 km north of Portel-des-Corbières. Access to the commune is by the D6009 road from Narbonne which passes through the centre of the commune and continues south to Salses-le-Château. Access to the village in the east of the commune is by road D105 which branches from the D6009 just north of the commune and goes to the village before continuing south to Peyriac-de-Mer. The A9 autoroute passes through the commune from north to south but has no exit in the commune. The nearest exit is Exit some 4 km north of the commune which links to the D6009. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Les Pesquis, Domaine de Java, and Prat de Cest. The Étang de Bages-Sigean forms the entire eastern border of the commune with numerous streams flowing from the commune into it such as the "Ruisseau Mairal", the "Ruisseau de Boutoubouli", and the "Ruisseau des Potences". A smaller Lake - the "Étang de Saint-Paul" - is on the southern border of the commune linked to the much larger Étang de Bages-Sigean with a dam forming the border of the commune. The origins of the site of the present commune date back to prehistoric times. According to historians tools found in Bages attest the presence of man from the Lower Paleolithic (80,000 years ago). Undoubtedly Neanderthal then Cro-Magnon men stayed on the shores of the Narbonne Gulf (sea at the time). The discovery of Neolithic sites proves the existence of significant human communities at that time. It was under Roman occupation that a real settlement emerged. Many plots of land were distributed to senior army veterans and there were numerous luxurious "villae".