The earliest evidence of olive tree use in Italy dates back about 3,700 years, at the height of the Bronze Age, and comes from Sicily. This study, published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, is the oldest in the entire Mediterranean, after that of Malta, which dated to 5,000 years ago. The research, conducted by the universities of Pisa, Tuscia and Sapienza di Roma, examined the Pantano Grande site near Messina, where sediments covering a period of about 3,700 years were found. Microscopic analysis of the samples revealed an exceptional presence of olive pollen, suggesting active management of these trees by local people. Although not yet true cultivation, wild olive trees were systematically exploited to produce oil, use the wood as fuel and building material, and employ the leaves as fodder for animals. The study also identifies two other phases in the spread of the olive tree: one in Roman times (2nd century B.C. to 3rd century A.D.), with true cultivation associated with artifacts such as amphorae and oil presses, and another in the modern period (13th-19th centuries), during which Sicilian olive cultivation became established in a structured and modern way.