17 February 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Bidnija olive trees have seen medieval, not the Roman period

The olive trees in the Bidnija grove on the island of Malta are believed to be 2000 years old. But research says that’s not true.

The Bidnija olive grove study was carried out by Dr. Jonathan Lageard and Dr. Francis Brearley from the Manchester Metropolitan University, and Dr. Daniel Sultana from the Environment and Resources Authority and Junior College, University of Malta.

The researchers used radiocarbon dating of tree trunks to determine the ages of six olive trees in a grove near Bidnija, which they published in the International Journal of Archaeological Studies.

The study revealed that trees from the Bidnija grove were planted in the mid to late medieval period (15th to 17th century), rather than in far earlier Roman times when the surrounding agricultural terrain was considered to be an important olive producing area.

A concentration of archaeological discoveries surrounds the Bidnija trees, showing the presence of a significant olive-producing region dating back to the Romans.

Small fields surround the site, which is typical of the island’s agricultural cultivation, and it is next to a small limestone promontory on which the remains of a Roman-era villa, Tal-Bidni, were discovered in 1912.

The grove is one of the few sites on the Maltese islands where old trees still thrive and are legally protected. However, while veteran olive trees have traditionally been seen as tangible connections to former agricultural landscapes, their dating has proven difficult.

Because of the tiny cells in the anatomical structure of the wood, olive trees cannot be dated like other trees, and they grow in twisted patterns and produce hollow trunks, making dating procedures even more difficult to apply.

The researchers found a significant mismatch between the scientifically determined ages of olive trees and more romantic ideas of longevity.

So, while the Bidnija site might have been utilized for olive tree cultivation as far back as the Roman period and probably beyond, the current olive trees were planted more recently and are part of a continuity of olive tree replanting and management.

Cover Photo: Wikiwand

Related Articles

2,500-Year-Old Phoenician Shipwreck Being Rescued By Spanish Archaeologists

6 July 2023

6 July 2023

A 2,500-year-old Phoenician shipwreck has been found underwater in the southeastern Spanish region of Murcia. An extraordinary Phoenician shipwreck dating...

A hungry Badger uncovers the largest collection of such coins ever discovered in northern Spain

11 January 2022

11 January 2022

Archaeologists have uncovered a rich trove of 209 Roman-era coins in northwestern Spain, due to the apparent efforts of a...

2000-year-old tomb guarded by two bull heads found in Tharsa Ancient City, Türkiye

18 May 2024

18 May 2024

In Türkiye, archaeologists have discovered a new 2000-year-old tomb protected by two bull heads during excavation and cleaning efforts in...

Mandrin cave in France shows Homo Sapiens arrived in Europe almost 10,000 years earlier than thought

10 February 2022

10 February 2022

According to archaeological research published in Science magazine on Wednesday, Homo sapiens ventured into the Neanderthal territory in Europe far...

A massive Rune stone found under a kitchen floor in Denmark declared treasure

8 June 2023

8 June 2023

A couple in Denmark discovered a massive rune stone weighing approximately 900 kilograms during a home renovation project that planned...

A rare statue of K’awiil, Mayan god of Lighting have uncovered in Mexico

1 May 2023

1 May 2023

In southeastern Mexico, archaeologists uncovered a rare sculpture of a powerful Mayan god near the path of a large-scale rail...

Archeological study shows unearthed Byzantine warrior had gold-threaded jaw

30 September 2021

30 September 2021

A Byzantine warrior who was beheaded after the Ottomans captured his fort in the 14th century had a jaw threaded...

Largest ever Roman silver hoard in Germany found in Augsburg

12 November 2021

12 November 2021

Archaeologists in Augsburg, Germany, revealed unearthed a historical hoard including 15 kg of silver coins from the Roman Empire’s era....

Unique Heart-Shaped Jesuit Ring from 1700s at Fort St Joseph, Michigan

18 September 2022

18 September 2022

An archeology student from the Fort St. Joseph Archeology project at Western Michigan University has uncovered a unique heart-shaped Jesuit...

Archaeologists Discovered a Fragmentary Inscription in Cypriot Syllabary Found Dating to the Cypro-Archaic Period

1 December 2024

1 December 2024

During excavations at Palaepaphos, located within the municipal boundaries of the modern village of Kouklia-Martsello on the southwest coast of...

Ancient shipwreck dating back to the 2nd century BC was discovered off the coast of Croatia

14 September 2021

14 September 2021

A shipwreck dating to the 2nd century BC has been discovered in the shallow waters of the Adriatic Sea near...

Scientists find the oldest evidence of humans in Israel -a 1.5 million-year-old Human vertebra

3 February 2022

3 February 2022

An international group of Israeli and American researchers, an ancient human vertebra has been uncovered in Israel’s Jordan Valley that...

A rare 2,500-year-old marble disc, designed to protect ancient ships and ward off the evil eye discovered near Palmachim Beach

5 August 2023

5 August 2023

A rare 2,500-year-old marble disc designed to protect ancient ships and ward off the evil eye was discovered by a...

Persian-era plaster walls were discovered during excavations at Zeyve Höyük in central Turkey

2 August 2022

2 August 2022

This year’s excavations at Porsuk-Zeyve Höyük (Zeyve Mound) near the Porsuk village of the Ulukışla district of Niğde, located in...

Archaeologists have discovered sandstone blocks belonging to a pharaoh’s temple covered with hieroglyphs in Sudan

2 March 2023

2 March 2023

Polish archaeologists have discovered sandstone blocks belonging to a pharaoh’s temple covered with hieroglyphs during excavations at Old Dongola in...