The olive-tree of the Mediterranean is probably the world’s longest-lived cultivated plant. Olives generally, and ancient trees, are especially abundant in the island of Crete. Olives have been part of Crete’s successive cultures and cultural landscapes since the Neolithic, some 9000 years ago. We shall deal with the African origins of the olive tree, how it got to Crete, the uses made of it, and the present and future of ancient existing trees.
Bannister 110
