The Grain silo

Grain silos are used to store cereals. The emergence of agriculture and grain cultivation during the Neolithic era created the need to store and protect the grains of cereals throughout the year. They were first stored in clay pots, pits and underground storage structures in the houses and rarely outside. Elements on the storage methods of cereals in Greece emerge from excavations in the Neolithic settlements, Dispilio Kastoria (7.000 BC), Sesklo Magnesia (6.800 BC), Dimini Magnesia (4.800 BC). Indications for specially constructed large-scale storage buildings for cereals, granaries  appear in mainland Greece after the beginning of the Bronze Age during the Early Helladic period (3rd millennium BC). The main feature of the granaries of this era is the circular shape and the large thickness of their walls. The most important were in Orchomenos, Boeotia and Tiryns, Argolida.

The traditional grain silos for domestic use  varied depending on the geographical location of the settlement, the capacity and method of construction and were distinguished into portable and stable . Portable grain silos  included large baskets woven from wood of wicker, boxes made of beech wood and large vessels made of plane tree and oak. Stable grain silos ,wooden or brick  were built in a special space inside the house, and their size was determined by the production and the available space. Grain storage spaces are called silos, which probably comes from the Ancient Greek siros , meaning a vessel or pit for storing grain. Contemporary silos are made of concrete or metal. They mostly have a circular section and provide a large storage capacity.