The Arab-Muslim presence in the regions of Languedoc and Provence during the Middle Ages

The Arab-Berber presence in the Languedoc and Provence regions during the Middle Ages is attested to in written sources. These nevertheless remain patchy, contradictory and on the whole little studied, especially those from the conquering Muslims. However, archaeological finds can shed more light on this period, from the arrival of the Arab-Berber troops in Septimania in the 8^th century, to the probable presence of individuals, and perhaps even organised communities, in large towns taking part in international trade from the 12^th to the 14^th centuries. Coins, burial sites, ceramics, shipwrecks, a potter's workshop in Marseille and other finds create a network of evidence, which when looked at as a whole, can generate scenarios with regards to historical micro-events. The arrival of Arabic-speaking Jews from Andalusia, driven out of these southern regions by the Almohad Caliphate in the 12^th century, contributed to the transfer of technology and other knowledge from the Muslim world towards Europe. This remains to be examined in relation to the other elements mentioned in order to allow for a full understanding of the phenomenon.