Archaeological research found that olive oil was used to smelt copper in Cyprus 4,000 years ago. "Olive oil burns like gasoline"
Reuters, Haaretz
It is praised for its culinary and health benefits, but now it turns out that even before olive oil was included in the menu of the inhabitants of the Mediterranean basin, the inhabitants of Cyprus used it to smelt copper. This is shown by archaeological research. Italian researchers have discovered that around 4,000 years ago in Southern Cyprus, they used environmentally friendly olive oil to run the smelting furnaces, instead of using coal, as has been the practice for hundreds of years. This is the first time that science states that olive oil was used as fuel in ancient times.
The use of olive oil, called by the Greek poet Homer "liquid gold", has always been associated with cultivation and ancient religious ceremonies, but not with the coal industry in the Middle East. In ancient times, Cyprus was known for its copper treasures. "We know that olive oil entered our menu about 1,000 years BC, but this is the first time that there is scientific evidence that it was used as a fuel for the purpose of smelting," says archaeologist Maria Rosaria Belgiorno.
Following Belgiorno's findings, the human race may be able to return to its roots, at least when it comes to energy use. "This is the first time something like this has been discovered. Only recently have they started turning to biofuels in Europe. This oil burns like gasoline," she said.
However, it seems that today's Cypriots are not in a hurry to fill their gas tank with the expensive liquid, instead of drizzling it on the salad. The average annual production of olive oil on the island, which reaches 13.5 thousand tons, barely meets the local demand, and the price of a liter of olive oil is about 30 shekels, compared to about five and a half shekels for a liter of regular fuel.
Also in Egypt and Jordan, metal processing factories were found near olive groves
Olive oil was a main ingredient in the production of perfumes in ancient times (photo: YEH) The factory where the copper was melted in Pyrgos was probably part of a wider industrial unit in 2,000 BC, when Cyprus was still in the Bronze Age. The complex, located about 90 km southwest of the capital Nicosia, in the heart of an area of villas, includes a copper smelting site, textile spinning and dyeing facilities, a winery and a textile mill. "The fabric house and the storage areas were located in the heart of two complexes where copper was processed. This indicates that they used olive oil," Belgiorno said.
In the tests conducted by the "Italian Institute of Useful Technologies" for a Belgiorno machine, olive oil residues were found in the ovens. According to Belgiorno, the researchers were amazed that no evidence was found of the use of coal - the most common fuel at the time. Belgiorno points out that in Egypt and Jordan metal processing plants were also found near the areas where olive oil was produced. Therefore the Cypriots cannot claim to have been the first to use bioenergy.
The precious liquid was the main ingredient in the production of perfumes in ancient times, due to the abundance of olive groves and copper mines in Cyprus. "The technology was brought to Cyprus from other countries, apparently through connections with Palestine and Jordan," claims Belgiorno. Last year, Belgiorno's team discovered the oldest perfume factory in the world, where olive oil and herbs were used.
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