<i>CRETICUM OLEUM EXCELLENS</i> ? OLIVE OIL PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION ON ROMAN CRETE

Crete’s economy under Roman rule is associated primarily with production and distribution of wine, an interpretation resulting from textual and archaeological data. Several scholars have commented on the potential of oleoculture within the economic structure of Roman Crete, including reference to olive oil as a good for export, but there has been minimal follow up that considers the specific evidence available and its ability to shed light on these practices. This paper critically considers the evidence for oleoculture on Crete during the Roman period and its prospective role in the economic life of the island, including a focus on evidence for olive cultivation and the extent to which this points to surplus production. While there are indications of olive oil production across different parts of Crete, oleoculture may have focused primarily on supporting regional economic needs across the island. Some degree of export likely did occur, perhaps on a small scale and intermittently, but evidence is lacking to develop any interpretation beyond that. Such analysis is important not only for consideration of the Roman economy of Crete but also for addressing questions and concerns around the standard contents of transport amphoras, which remain one of the most important archaeological proxies for studying economic networks and the distribution of different products. Analysis of trade routes and distribution often rely on direct correlations between amphora types and their contents, and this must always be critically assessed.