The Shape Diversity of Olive Stones Resulting from Domestication and Diversification Unveils Traits of the Oldest Known 6500-Years-Old Table Olives from Hishuley Carmel Site (Israel)

A groundbreaking analysis of 6500-year-old olive stones from the Hishuley Carmel site reveals traits indicative of both wild and domesticated olives, some strikingly similar to modern varieties. This discovery provides the earliest evidence of table olive cultivation in the Mediterranean Basin. Researchers employed geometrical morphometric analysis on archaeological stones, comparing them with modern samples from wild populations and traditional varieties. The study not only characterizes stone morphological variation but also sheds light on the divergence between domesticated olives and their wild progenitors, offering insights into early domestication syndromes and the dual-use potential of these ancient olives for both oil production and table consumption.

Terral, J.-F., Bonhomme, V., Pagnoux, C., Ivorra, S., Newton, C., Paradis, L., Ater, M., Kassout, J., Limier, B., Bouby, L., Cornet, F., Barazani, O., Dag, A., & Galili, E. (2021). The Shape Diversity of Olive Stones Resulting from Domestication and Diversification Unveils Traits of the Oldest Known 6500-Years-Old Table Olives from Hishuley Carmel Site (Israel). Agronomy, 11(11), 2187. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112187