Early production of table olives at a mid-7th millennium BP submerged site off the Carmel coast (Israel)

Research at the submerged site of Hishuley Carmel reveals the earliest known production of table olives, dating back to the mid-7th millennium BP. Analysis of olive pit size and fragmentation patterns, pollen data, and architectural features associated with pits indicates that large quantities of table olives were prepared at this site, likely facilitated by its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, which provided sea water and salt for debittering and pickling. Experimental demonstrations support this hypothesis. Comparisons with modern cultivars and wild-growing trees suggest that the ancient olive pits resemble those from wild olives, though early cultivation cannot be entirely ruled out. This finding highlights a significant milestone in the region's exploitation of the olive, with table olive preparation possibly following earlier olive oil production.

Galili, E., Langgut, D., Terral, J. F., Barazani, O., Dag, A., Kolska Horwitz, L., Ogloblin Ramirez, I., Rosen, B., Weinstein-Evron, M., Chaim, S., Kremer, E., Lev-Yadun, S., Boaretto, E., Ben-Barak-Zelas, Z., & Fishman, A. (2021). Early production of table olives at a mid-7th millennium BP submerged site off the Carmel coast (Israel). Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80772-6