Le dolium en Gaule Narbonnaise (Ier s. a.C.-IIIe s. p.C.)

The dolium is the largest container ever used in the ancient world. First imported by the Greeks in Italy during the VIIIth century B.B., this terracotta jar will gradually conquer the whole northwestern Mediterranean territories. Because of its perfect adaptation to the warm climate of Mediterranean area, it became during the IIrd century A.D a symbol of intensive viticulture and olive growing, at least until the IIIrd century A.d Archaeology neglected for a long time the study of these heavy and shapelessceramic fragments strewn across the ground of ancient farm's storehouses. Through the Narbonese province case, this works aims to reasses the place of this container in the economic development between the Ist century B.C. to the IIIrd century A.D. Using classical archaeological methods, this study also joins a multidisciplinary prospect intended to put in synergy archaeological, archaeometrical, epigraphic and anthropological data. This documentation forms and unprecedented synthesis about dolium, from its manufacturing to its use, which aims at highlighting the modalities of this great tool's deployment at the service of the imperial economic development.