A recent paper published by a large group of researchers, including one representative from the National Institute of Archeology and Heritage Sciences Abdeljalil El Hajraoui, revealed that the first-ever use of olive was in Morocco around 100,000 years ago.
Olive trees, and by consequence, olives, have always played a crucial role in the history of the Mediterranean basin, in which their economic value was uncontested. However, these latest findings suggest that olive trees have existed on the Atlantic coast of Morocco for 100,000 years and that olives might have been used for consumption, for the first time, in Morocco.
These findings centered around two caves in the Rabat-Temara region, in El Mnasra and El Harhoura. In both caves, archeologists found abundant charcoal and charred seed fragments, which were duly studied and analyzed to determine their nature.
Of all charcoal fragments they could identify, scientists determined that 72% belong to a specific type of olive tree known as O. Europea. Moreover, 24% were identified as belonging to wild olive trees and other woods. When it comes to seed fragments, it was found that 81% were charred olive stones.
It is not clear why the seed remains were found charred, but archeologists have put forward two main theories. The first is that, after consuming the fruit, the seeds were simply thrown into the fire to dispose of waste. The second, more plausible one, is that seeds, containing a high level of oil, were used as a combustible material, resulting in slow, long-lasting flames that early humans would have used for cooking.
The paper further stresses that, although other woods were plentiful in the region back at the time (oak and juniper, for example, most charcoal remains come from olive trees, which proves its heavy use in pre-historic Morocco.
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