Origins and diffusion of olive growing.

The origins of olive growing are lost in the dawn of time, and its diffusion coincides with the civilization of the Mediterranean populations. The cultivated olive tree, Olea europea L. probably comes from the wild variety Olea chrysophylla Laxx. Both varieties also have many sub-species. The olive tree is a plant originally from the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. In Ebla, situated in the northern part of Syria, ancient documents dated at about the III millennium b.C. mention an elevated production of olive oil. The olive tree appears also in Anatolia, particularly in the Cilicia's plain, according to ancient Hittite tests, and in Egypt, where it was imported from Asia. In the Ancient Empire, the olive groves of the Nile's Valley certainly arrived from Syria. In Egypt, during the New Empire, the olive groves should have been relatively vast, as it's observed in an inscription of god Ra's temple, in Helipolys, at the times of Ramses III (1197-1165 b. C.), which indicates that the olive groves of the city provided oil, the best quality of the whole Egypt, to fuel the lamps of the shrine. In the Old Testament it's confirmed the use of the oil to fuel the Tabernacle's lamps. The olive groves are often mentioned in the books of the Old Testament, like the Deuteronomy, and from the prophets Jeremiah, Hosea and jael, since the olive oil was necessary to keep a good health, as it's confirmed by King's book, the Chronicle's book, the Ecclesiastic's book and the prophet Ezekiel. The palaeobotanic engraving of Cnossus (Crete) dated at the beginning of the XV century b.C. , consent to assume, judging from the shape of the handless amphora where it's written a reference of a wild olive tree or a kind of primitive cultivated olive tree. The Cnossus's olives, it seems, were utilized for a formulation of perfumes more then alimentation. The Mycenaeans were particularly interested in the olive groves and its products. In the first half of I century b.C. the olive tree expanded also in Assyria, as it is indicated in the archaeological discoveries of Nimrud-Kalkhu and by mention of the olive tree in the Assyrian lexicon of the period. In the Southern Mesopotamia, the olive tree wasn't cultivated. Sesame oil was utilized exclusively. The significance of the olive groves in Carthage is known from the interest of the Carthagenian agronomist Magone, who lived before the Carthage destruction (146 b.C.), given to the olive growing; his indications were subsequently applied by Colimella and Pliny. The olive growing wasn't known in Africa, Spain and Italy at the time of Rome's king Tarquin Prisco, according to the testimony of Fenestella, who claims also that in the period of Augusto the olive's trees reached the Northern Alps, the Gaul (France) and the inland of Spain.