Remains of 8,000-year-old olive oil found in Lower Galilee

Jerusalem Post ^ | December 17, 2014 | Daniel K. Eisenbud

[SunkenCiv]

The earliest evidence of the use of olive oil in the country, and possibly the entire Middle East, was unearthed at an excavation site in the Lower Galilee, the Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday.

The discovery was made after Dr. Ianir Milevski and Nimrod Getzov directed an archeological salvage excavation at Ein Tzipori between 2011 and 2013.

The excavation led to research that indicated that olive oil was already being used in the country 8,000 years ago, during the 6th millennium BCE...

These tests revealed that the pottery, dating to the Early Chalcolithic period, contained olive oil, the researchers concluded...

Of the 20 pottery vessels sampled, two were found to be particularly ancient, dating to approximately 5,800 BCE.

"In underwater archeological excavations directed by Dr. Ehud Galili opposite Kfar Samir, south of Haifa, remains of an olive oil industry from this period were previously discovered, whereas now at Tzipori, evidence has been found for first time of the use of olive oil," the statement said.

"Together with the Kfar Samir discovery, this is the earliest evidence of olive oil production in the country, and possibly the entire Mediterranean basin."

The researchers said the finding buttressed the possibility that olive oil was already a diet staple, and may have been used for lighting.

[SunkenCiv]

One of the 20 pottery relics found by the IAA in the Lower Galilee containing residue from 8,000-year-old olive oil.. (photo credit:IAA)

[SunkenCiv]

[uglybiker]

...8,000-year-old olive oil ...

You said she looks how old?

[al baby]

Was it EVO ?

[exPBRrat]

Holy cow that’s older than the patriarch Abraham, incredible.

[dsrtsage]

Those muslims were sure smart back then

[TheThirdRuffian]

Pretty sure they could find some of the same age at any given Olive Garden.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Well, it’s not like they discovered the land unoccupied.

[Cyman]

Now THAT’s what I call extra virgin oil.

[MaxMax]

Did they find any remains of Water?

[EQAndyBuzz]

Apparently they also found the remains of a Chinese restaurant, which leads us to beleive that the area was in fact occupied by Jews. In the dig, they also found bones which appeared to be of a feline.

[colorado tanker]

This must be a site near and dear to your heart, Civ. This village was not sunk by seismic activity, but by rising ocean levels from melting glaciers.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/remains-of-neolithic-atlantis-found-off-haifa-coast/

[353FMG]

Whaaaaaaaat?

[Kackikat]

Seriously, how do they know, it must be rancid by now.

[lowbridge]

[SunkenCiv]

• Mesopotamian Climate Change (8,000 Years Ago) [2-15-2004]

[SunkenCiv]

This topic was posted 12/19/2014, ping msg update.