Pottery Find Proves Olive Oil Used in Israel 8,000 Years Ago
New evidence suggests olive oil was used in Israel and possibly the Mediterranean basin as early as 8,000 years ago.
New research has shown that olive oil was utiÂlized in Israel and the Mediterranean area as far back as 8,000 years ago, as indiÂcated by tests on potÂtery at En Zippori in Lower Galilee. The study by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority found traces of olive oil in potÂtery shards datÂing back to 5,800 BCE, sugÂgestÂing early large-scale proÂducÂtion and conÂsumpÂtion of olive oil in the region.
New research has uncovÂered eviÂdence that olive oil was used in Israel and posÂsiÂbly the Mediterranean basin as early as 8,000 years ago.
A study pubÂlished in the Israel Journal of Plant Sciences on November 24 revealed the results of tests carÂried out on potÂtery uncovÂered durÂing excaÂvaÂtions between 2011 and 2013 at En Zippori in Lower Galilee.
A team of researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority used samÂples of the shards of potÂtery to conÂduct an organic residue analyÂsis and found them to conÂtain traces of olive oil. The tests also indiÂcated that some of the potÂtery vesÂsels found here date back to 5,800 BCE and were used for the storÂage of olive oil.
These findÂings, along with those uncovÂered at the subÂmerged site of Kfar Samir off the coast of Israel where crushed olive stones and olive pulp were found buried in pits, proÂvide the earÂliÂest eviÂdence of the large-scale proÂducÂtion and conÂsumpÂtion of olive oil in Israel and posÂsiÂbly the entire Mediterranean region.
While the Kfar Samir study estiÂmated that olive oil was proÂduced in the region 6,500 years ago, the fact that the potÂtery found at En Zippori dates back to 5,800 BCE, means that olive oil proÂducÂtion and conÂsumpÂtion could go back as much as 8,000 years.
This indiÂcates that olive oil was a diet staÂple in the region at the time, but researchers also specÂuÂlate that it may have also been used as fuel in oil lamps.
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