This paper presents new archaeobotanical results from two previously studied Late Bronze Age caves situated in Southern France,
Balme Gontran and Baume Layrou. At each site a thick black layer, characterised by a very high density of charred seeds, is
shown to be composed of the remains of burnt crop stores. In Baume Layrou a small proportion of desiccated plant remains was
preserved in addition to the bulk of carbonised material. In Balme Gontran,
Triticum spelta and
Panicum miliaceum predominated and were independently stored.
Lens culinaris,
Vicia faba and
Setaria italica were secondary species of some importance and could have been stored as well. Storage at Baume Layrou was above all composed
of hulled
Hordeum vulgare,
Triticum spelta and
P. miliaceum. Other possibly stored species were
Triticum aestivum/durum/turgidum, T. dicoccon and
V. faba. It seems that most of the crops were grown in pure stands, with the exception of
S. italica and
Triticum monococcum which may have been mixed in small proportions with common millet and emmer respectively. Crops were stored in ceramic vessels,
probably also in bags and wooden containers like baskets. Millet grains were stored in their husks while glume wheats were
dehusked. Dehusking before storage does not seem to have been the common practice at the time. It seems moreover rather unsuitable
for grain storage in caves. In Baume Layrou a small proportion of cereal kernels had started to germinate, presumably due
to the humidity of the cave. We are making the assumption that the caves were not used for usual long term storage but to
store food supplies for a small group of people who intended to live here for a short period, perhaps taking refuge during
disturbed times. Crops could have been dehusked to reduce the weight and volume of the load to transport to the caves on steep
and difficult paths.
Keywords Archaeobotany - Late Bronze Age - Southern France - Cave occupation - Grain storage - Crop processing - Refuge site