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38 OLIVES AND OLIVE OIL have a long and rich history in Greece, as demonstrated by 50,000 - 60,000 year-old fossilized olive trees found in the volcanic rocks of Santo- rini. An estimated 80% of the olive oil produced in Greece qualify as extra-virgin (the highest quality possible). A Country’s 4,000 Year-Old Tradition G reece’s geography and climate in particular provide ideal con- ditions for the cultivation of olive trees. Substantial sunlight year-round, mild winters and warm summers contribute to the growth of a vast variety of flora and fauna. In addition, Greek cul- ture is closely connected with the olive tree, its fruit and olive oil. The process and technique of cultivating and producing olive oil has been passed down across generations for several millennia. Olives were first cultivated in the beginning of 5000 B.C., on the island of Crete, with olive cultivation spreading to the northern ar- eas of Greece. Until 1500 B.C., Mycenae was the area most heavily cultivated. With the expansion of the Greek colonies, olive cultiva- tion and culture began to spread across the entire Mediterranean. Olive trees dominated the rocky Greek countryside and became pillars of Hellenic society; they were so sacred that those who cut one down were condemned to death or exile. In ancient Greece, olive oil was the hottest commodity; advanced ships were built for the sole purpose of transporting it from Greece to trading posts around the Mediterranean. A Meaningful Symbol and Elixir of Health T he olive branch has long been considered a symbol of abun- dance, peace, wisdom and victory. When the first Olympic Games took place in Olympia in 776 BC an olive-tree branch was the award to the winners symbolizing the armistice of any hostility and the peace. This tradition continued through the end of the An- cient Olympic Games. Not only was an olive-tree branch the award in games but the product itself. The Panathenaic Games took place every four years in honor of the goddess Athena. The winners of the athletic games received as an award olive in amphorae known as the “Panathenaic Amphorae” . This is the very first example of product certification in world history. Ancient Greek athletes ritu- ally rubbed olive oil over their body (a practice later imitated by Roman Gladiators), creating a mystical glow that is threaded into the country’s history.