On Crete the wild olive tree (Olea Oleaster) dates back to Neolithic. Early Minoan Crete started 2000 BC cultivating, exploiting and exporting olives and olive oil as a main commodity of the island. Among the usages of olive oil were the religious, cosmetic, therapeutic, as well as its usage as lamp essence. The olive tree is depicted on ideogramms in Linear A and B tablets testimony of its usage in Minoan Crete. Large storage jars, tools, bowls containing olives are testimony of Minoan consumption of olive and its products.
Today more than 35.000.000 olive trees are cultivating on Crete which makes 65% of the agricultural land covered by olive plantation giving the name of Crete as the Olive Island.