palatial civilization

Opposite page Still growing, this olive tree at Azorias, on Crete, is a staggering 3,250 years old; its fruit may well have been harvested for the earliest known production of olive oil. above The Palace of Knossos, with olives visible in the background.

Olives: oiling the wheels of civilisation

Olive trees thrive on poor soil where little else will grow, which means land that would otherwise be barren can produce food. This realisation triggered a true agricultural revolution – but when and where did it take place? Colin Renfrew and Evi Margaritis believe the clues were grown on Crete.