2 The first steps of carpology in Kosova: the example of Ulpiana's Roman town

In anticipation of the Mission Archéologique Européenne au Kosova (MAEKO) program, the study and promotion of the archaeological heritage of Ulpiana (Kosova), an archaeobotanical study—specifically a particular carpological analysis—has been underway since 2022. This study is directly linked to the archaeological excavations of sectors 1300/1300, 1300/1500, and 1400/1400. Although still modest, this study holds undeniable scientific significance as it represents the first of its kind conducted in Ulpiana, and more widely in Kosova and on the territory of ancient Dardania. The carpological data presented here are therefore new and exceptional because they inaugurate research into food consumption in this chrono-cultural region. The excavation of sectors 1300/1300, 1300/1500, and 1400/1400, led by Milot Berisha (IAK), Christophe Goddard (CNRS PSL), and Arben Hajdari (University of Prishtina), uncovered structures from the Roman period and Byzantine periods. Anthropogenic levels revealed, including functional stratigraphic units or carbonized deposits, were the subject of spot sampling of sediments. This protocol was implemented by Florian Jedrusiak (SDAVO UMR 8167 Équipe GAMMA), in consultation with Christophe Goddard and Vincent Bernollin (CNRS PSL, AOROC). This analysis aims to improve the overall understanding of the Ulpiana site, particularly with regard to its plant economy. It is mainly a question of determining which plant foodstuffs were consumed by the populations who occupied the town between the 1st and 6th centuries AD.