Shipping olives in the Eastern Mediterranean during Antiquity
Assessing varietal diversity of olive (Olea europaea) from the Mazotos shipwreck (Cyprus, 4th c. BCE) using geometric morphometrics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7514716 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Clémence Pagnoux (0000-0002-7554-477X, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, corresponding author), Sarah Ivorra (0000-0003-0314-8054, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Stella Demesticha (0000-0002-4882-1241, University of Cyprus), Vincent Bonhomme (0000-0002-2742-6349, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Kyriaki Tsirtsi (0000-0002-1861-7987, Cyprus Institute), Evi Margaritis (0000-0003-1906-5720, Cyprus Institute), Jean-Frédéric Terral (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Jean‐frédéric Terral (0000-0003-1921-2161) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 70 |
| Pages | 105620 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Archaeological Science Reports (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2352-409X • E-ISSN: 2352-4103 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105620 |
| OpenAlex | W7128769949 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
First study of such a large numerical assemblage of waterlogged olive endocarps dated to the Classical period. • An opportunity to explore table olive in Antiquity. • A main morphotype dominates the olive assemblage under study, together with a secondary type: this composition makes the assemblage from the Mazatos shipwreck distinct from other sites studied, where oil production had already been demonstrated. A shipwreck dated to the 4th c. BCE discovered off the southern coast of Cyprus, near the modern village of Mazotos, has yielded thousands of waterlogged olive endocarps, offering us the opportunity to characterize the varietal diversity of olives cultivated in the Aegean and to explore the circulation of olives in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Classical period. The ship was likely on a route from the Aegean to the Eastern Mediterranean, carrying a cargo of Chian amphorae. Among these amphorae, some contained olive endocarps, providing valuable evidence of the transportation of agricultural products and the interconnected networks of the Classical period. This case study is not only a rare example of ship dated to the classical period, but also a unique opportunity to investigate a large assemblage of waterlogged whole, well preserved, olive endocarps using geometric morphometrics, to characterize the food products circulating by sea route. Comparison with an extended modern reference collection of 57 cultivated varieties and 15 wild populations of olive from various origins revealed that one main morphotype dominates the cargo of the Mazotos shipwreck, supplemented by other types in smaller quantities
Assemblage (archaeology · Diversity (politics · Mediterranean Basin · Mediterranean climate · Mediterranean sea · Morphometrics · Olive oil · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Edible Oils Quality and Analysis · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
Historical biogeography of olive domestication ( Olea europaea L.) as revealed by geometrical morphometry applied to biological and archaeological material
Momocs
The Maʻagan Mikhael B shipwreck
On the origins and spread of Olea europaea L. (olive) domestication
The 4th-Century-BC Mazotos Shipwreck, Cyprus
The Tantura F Shipwreck, Israel
Development of olive cultivation at the site of Sikyon, Greece
Did Greek colonisation bring olive growing to the north? An integrated archaeobotanical investigation of the spread of Olea europaea in Greece from the 7th to the 1st millennium bc
Olive oil production in Hellenistic Greece
From wild stands to orchards
Olives from Roman Spain
There’s more to a vessel than meets the eye
Direct evidence for organic cargoes in the Late Bronze Age
Dating Mediterranean shipwrecks
Distinguishing exploitation, domestication, cultivation and production
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |