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<pre>I don't really have any info on why virgin oil is called virgin. However,
in response to the source mentioned below, most botanical evidence (as
well as archaeological) points to Syro-Palestine as the area of origin and
domestication for the olive.

Peter Warnock

On Tue, 9 Oct 2001, Behice Ertenu wrote:

> Hi Daniel,
>
> I have found a source that explains the origin of olive. The web site is:
> www.egebirlik.org.tr
>
> Please find below the text as it is extracted. I hope it is helpful.
>
> Behice
>
> "Olive and olive oil are known by human beigns for about 8000 years.
> Archaelogical discoveries show that motherland of olive tree is
> Southeastern Anatolia and Mesopotamia. In the course of the history, It
> spreaded first to the Mediterrenean Region and then to other
> continents.
> The origin of the word “zeytin” ( Turkish for olive) provides some clues
> about the story of the olive tree. The Arabic words “ez-zeyt” and zeytoun”
> derive from the Hebrem root “zeyt”.( Furthermore, there is the word
> “zeirtim” the language of the Akkadians who lived in Anatolia long time
> ago.) Later we find these same words in Spanish as “acetia” The
> “elaia” of ancient Greek becomes the word “olea” and “olium in Latin,
> finally taking the form of “olive” in English."
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: danielserra@yahoo.com <danielserra@yahoo.com>
> To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com <OliveOil@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: 08 Ekim 2001 Pazartesi 22:14
> Subject: [OliveOil] Olive Oil History
>
>
> Hi, I've been searching for some of the history of olive oil, and
> have been considering the term "virgin olive oil" and from where it
> originates. I have some vague references to virgins cultivating the
> olives in ancient greece...anyone know where that is mentioned? Was
> the term in use during the middle ages? So far I haven´t found
> anything about it yet.
>
> Daniel
>
>
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--
Peter Warnock
Dept. of Anthropology
Swallow Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
(573) 443-4203
(573) 884-5450 (fax)
pjwd29@mizzou.edu
</pre>
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