Identifying and interpreting silos deposits in medieval Mediterranean France : an archaeobotanical approach

International audienceFor the last twenty years, large-scale public works have helped to improve medieval archaeological research in Mediterranean southern France. The multiplication of rescue excavations has led to the discovery of several large ensiling areas, some of them formed by thousands of silos. The discovery of such structures systematically raises for archaeologists the issue of the identification of the type of deposits excavated (in primary or secondary position), and, for primary deposits, the question of the type of products ensiled. The discovery of storage in primary position remained uncommon and was, so far, poorly documented by archaeobotany in this area. New archaeobotanical investigations on several sites in Languedoc-Roussillon allows us to present a review of the results on storage practices in this region, and a discussion on the methods by which archaeobotany can enlighten the existence of primary deposits in ensiling areas. In a second time, we will discuss the interest of studying deposits in secondary position to document several questions, such as the identification of other agricultural practices not related to the storage itself, or the reconstitution of past environment exploited