Wild and Domesticated Olive in Bronze Age Crete: Data from Linear A

Talk by Rachel Pierini, Saxo-Institute (University of Copenhagen).

This paper analyses the Linear A inscriptions recording ‘olive’ and combines the textual sources with data on the geographical position and the chronology of the Linear A documents as well as archaeological data on the exploitation of olive crops in Bronze Age Crete. By doing so, it (i) adds a new angle on the potential connection between olives and the rise of palatial institutions, (ii) supports the inception of olive exploitation and systematic oil production in Neopalatial Crete, and (iii) confirms that central and south-eastern Crete were the core regions for olive production.