An olive tree in Crete may be over 4,000 years old, and it is still bearing fruit today. The Monumental Olive Tree of Vo...

An olive tree in Crete may be over 4,000 years old, and it is still bearing fruit today. The Monumental Olive Tree of Vouves in Chania is considered one of the oldest productive olive trees on earth, with estimates placing its age anywhere between 3,000 and 4,000-plus years. It was already ancient when Alexander the Great was born. Archaeological excavations across Crete, the Cyclades, and the Peloponnese have confirmed that olive oil production in Greece goes back at least 4,000 years. Thousands of crushed olive pits found at Chamalevri in Rethymno date to Minoan times, making them among the earliest hard evidence of olives being processed for oil. Linear A and Linear B clay tablets from Minoan and Mycenaean palaces recorded oil quantities, distributions, and trade transactions, showing that olive oil was a strategically managed commodity, not just a kitchen staple. The great Minoan palaces at Knossos, Phaistos, Malia, and Zakros held enormous storerooms packed with large jars containing thousands of liters of olive oil. Archaeologists found stone presses, separation basins, crushing tools, and specialized transport vessels on-site. Historians believe olive oil was one of Minoan Crete's most important exports, fueling trade links with Egypt, Syria, and across the Eastern Mediterranean as far back as the Bronze Age. Greek athletes rubbed olive oil on their bodies before competing. Temples used it in offerings and rituals. According to myth, the goddess Athena gifted the olive tree to Athens and was named the city's protector as a result. Olive wreaths were placed on the heads of Olympic champions. Greece today holds one of the richest genetic olive treasuries in the world, with native varieties like Koroneiki, Tsounati, and Throubolea tracing their roots back thousands of years of continuous cultivation in the same soil. #Greece #OliveOil #GreekHistory