The olive tree (Olea europaea, family Oleaceae) is one of the oldest cultivated trees of the Mediterranean basin. It is an evergreen perennial species strongly connected with the ecology, economy and culture of the region. Archaeobotanical findings indicate the presence of wild olives in the eastern Mediterranean (Syria, Asia Minor and Greece) since prehistoric times, while olive pollen samples discovered in Crete and mainland Greece date back to the Neolithic period.
