The first use of olives in Africa around 100,000 years ago

• Published in: Nature plants Vol. 8; no. 3; pp. 204 - 208
• Main Authors: Marquer, L., Otto, T., Arous, E. Ben, Stoetzel, E., Campmas, E., Zazzo, A., Tombret, O., Seim, A., Kofler, W., Falguères, C., El Hajraoui, M. Abdeljalil, Nespoulet, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.03.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/181/19/2472; 631/181/27; Africa; Archaeology and Prehistory; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Botanics; Brief Communication; Charcoal; Culture; Fruit; Fruit trees; Fruits; Glacial periods; Human remains; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hunter-gatherers; Hypotheses; Life Sciences; Olea; Oleaceae; Olives; Plant Sciences; Seeds; Trees; Vegetal Biology; Wood; Africa; Morocco
• ISSN: 2055-0278; 2055-026X; 2055-0278
• DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01109-x

The olive tree was an iconic plant for most of the past Mediterranean civilizations, for which it had important economic value. Here we report the earliest use of fruits and wood from olive trees in Africa so far, around 100,000 years ago. These findings suggest the presence of olive trees on the Atlantic coast of Morocco during most of the last glacial period, and the use of olives by the early Homo sapiens for fuel management and most probably for consumption. An examination of the potential use of fruit and wood from olive trees on the coast of Morocco approximately 100,000 years ago.