The olive tree, an enduring symbol of the Mediterranean, has shaped the region’s landscapes, economies, and cultures for thousands of years. Its deep roots in history trace back to early human civilizations, and new research has unveiled how human activity—not just natural factors—played a crucial role in its spread and dominance across the Central Mediterranean.
A recent study, published in Quaternary Science Reviews, provides fascinating insights into the history of olive tree cultivation, demonstrating that its expansion was intricately linked to trade, agriculture, and cultural exchanges over millennia. This study sheds light on how early societies in Sicily nurtured and propagated olive trees long before large-scale cultivation became widespread.
The Origins of Olive Tree Cultivation
The domestication of the olive tree began in the Near East approximately 6,500–7,000 years ago. However, until now, the timeline and mechanisms of its westward expansion into the Central Mediterranean remained uncertain.
To unravel this mystery, researchers from the Universities of Tuscia, Pisa, Rome La Sapienza, and the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology turned to lake sediment samples from Pantano Grande, a coastal salt marsh in Sicily. By analyzing fossil pollen and paleoecological markers, they discovered that olive trees were already present and actively exploited in Eastern Sicily as early as the 18th century BCE, during the Early-Middle Bronze Age.
Early Sicilian Cultures and the Olive Tree
The findings suggest that ancient Sicilian cultures, including the Castelluccio and Thapsos cultures, played a role in propagating olive trees. These early communities may have used wild olives for various purposes:
- Food: The fruit provided a valuable source of sustenance and oil.
- Wood: Olive wood, known for its durability and resistance to decay, was likely used for tools, construction, and fuel.
- Animal forage: Olive leaves and by-products may have been used to feed livestock.
While these societies laid the foundation for olive tree utilization, large-scale cultivation did not emerge until much later. Nevertheless, their early interactions with the tree set the stage for its eventual prominence in Mediterranean agriculture.
Trade, Culture, and the Expansion of the Olive Tree
One of the study’s most compelling revelations is the connection between ancient trade networks and the spread of olive cultivation. The researchers propose that cultural exchanges between Sicily and the Aegean world during the Bronze Age played a key role in expanding olive tree use.
The Role of the Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina, where Pantano Grande is located, was a crucial trade route linking the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. Evidence suggests that Mycenaean and Cypriot traders influenced local Sicilian communities to adopt olive trees more extensively. These interactions likely introduced new techniques for olive oil extraction and storage, fostering the tree’s increasing economic significance.
This supports the idea that olive trees did not simply spread westward through natural seed dispersal but rather through active human intervention—via trade, travel, and agricultural knowledge transfer.
The Rise, Fall, and Revival of Olive Cultivation
The history of olive tree cultivation in Sicily has not been one of uninterrupted growth. Instead, it has been shaped by social, economic, and environmental changes, leading to periods of expansion, decline, and resurgence.
Early Expansion (18th–12th Century BCE): The Bronze Age Boom
During the Early-Middle Bronze Age, olive trees flourished in Eastern Sicily, largely due to human-driven propagation. However, this phase ended around the 12th century BCE, coinciding with the collapse of Aegean trade networks and widespread sociopolitical upheavals.
Decline and Disappearance (12th–3rd Century BCE): A Shift in Priorities
Following the Bronze Age collapse, olive trees became less dominant in Sicily’s landscape. The Greek colonization of the island (8th–3rd century BCE) brought a shift in agricultural focus, with cereal crops taking precedence over olive cultivation in the Messina region. While olives remained part of the agricultural landscape, their economic significance diminished during this period.
Roman Revival (3rd Century BCE–5th Century CE): The Olive Oil Economy
With the rise of the Roman Empire, olive cultivation experienced a strong revival. Sediment records indicate a significant increase in olive pollen during this time, reflecting renewed agricultural efforts. Olive oil became a staple of the Roman economy, used for food, lighting, medicine, and religious rituals. Sicily, with its favorable climate and strategic location, became an important producer of olive oil for Roman markets.
Medieval Transformations (5th–14th Century CE): Decline and Adaptation
The fall of the Roman Empire brought another shift in agricultural priorities. During the Byzantine and Medieval periods, olive cultivation declined in many parts of Sicily, possibly due to climatic changes, economic instability, and changing land-use patterns. Other crops, such as wheat and vineyards, took precedence as the primary agricultural focus.
Modern Expansion (18th Century–Present): The Olive Tree Resurges
From the 18th century onward, olive tree cultivation regained momentum, particularly with the rise of commercial agriculture in the Mediterranean. Advances in irrigation, selective breeding of olive varieties, and increasing global demand for olive oil contributed to the tree’s large-scale expansion. Today, olive groves remain a defining feature of Mediterranean landscapes, reflecting centuries of human influence and adaptation.
Human Impact: A Greater Force Than Climate
One of the most striking conclusions of this study is that the success of the olive tree in the Mediterranean was more closely tied to human activity than to climate change. While environmental factors certainly played a role, it was human societies—through trade, agriculture, and cultural exchange—that determined where and when olive trees thrived.
This finding underscores an important reality: the landscapes we see today are not just shaped by nature but by thousands of years of human decisions. Ancient civilizations, by choosing to cultivate and trade olives, influenced the ecological and economic trajectory of the Mediterranean in ways that are still visible today.
The Olive Tree: A Living Testament to Human Ingenuity
Olive trees continue to be a vital part of Mediterranean life, not only as an economic resource but also as a cultural and historical symbol. From the terraced olive groves of Greece to the vast orchards of Spain and Italy, the tree stands as a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of human societies.
As we move into the future, the story of the olive tree serves as a reminder of the deep connections between people and nature. By understanding the past, we can better appreciate the agricultural traditions we inherit and make informed choices about preserving and sustaining these landscapes for generations to come.
The next time you drizzle olive oil onto your food or walk through an ancient olive grove, remember—you’re witnessing the legacy of a tree that has journeyed across millennia, shaped by the hands and minds of those who came before us.
Reference: Jordan Palli et al, The human-driven ecological success of olive trees over the last 3700 years in the Central Mediterranean, Quaternary Science Reviews (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109313