Mini Notebook Olive Tree

The olive tree is one of the most ancient cultivated trees in the Mediterranean. Archaeological findings from the Neolithic period suggest that the Greek people were the first to domesticate the olive tree. Olive tree cultivation was an important factor in the rise of Hellenic civilization. Perhaps this is why it was considered a holy symbol since antiquity. The olive tree was the precious gift of the goddess Athena, that earned her the patronage of Athens. The olive branch became the wreath awarded to Olympic winners and remains a worldwide symbol of peace to our day. Olive oil was used as a valuable offering of libation. It was also used for its cosmetic and medicinal properties advocated by Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Modern science confirms its reputation as the Mediterranean people’s elixir of longevity. For all these reasons we have named our olive tree “the tree of life”.