Abstract
Archaeobotanical studies carried out by rescue archaeology at Nîmes and Marseille (Southern France) provided evidence of Cordia myxa during the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. The fruit stones were found both waterlogged in domestic contexts and charred in a cremation grave (plant offering). Data from these finds and a survey of historical documents and archaeobotanical literature are combined here to discuss the origins and uses of these fruits in the western world.