Large-Scale Ancient Roman Olive Oil Production Facility Discovered in Tunisia

"This mission offers an unprecedented insight into the agricultural and socio-economic organization of the frontier regions of Roman Africa,"

"Olive oil was a very important product in the daily life of the ancient Romans,"

"not only used it as a condiment in cooking but also as a product for body care, in sports, and medicine, and even-if of poor quality-as fuel for lighting."

Henchir el Begar in the Kasserine region of Tunisia (ancient Cillium) contains two industrial-scale Roman olive oil production facilities on the Jebel Semmama steppes. Site 1 contains the largest mill in Tunisia and the second-largest in the Roman empire, featuring twelve torculariums; Site 2 preserves eight presses. The steppes’ temperature fluctuations and limited rainfall favored olive cultivation. The facilities operated between the 3rd and 6th centuries. Olive oil had diverse uses including cooking, body care, sports, medicine, and, when low quality, lighting fuel. The complex reveals the agricultural and socio-economic organization of Roman frontier regions in North Africa.

Read at ARTnews.com