Olive oil press from the Minoan Age

myminifactory

The ancient Minoans wielded a sophisticated grooved stone press at the Palace of Phaistos, harnessing its power to extract precious oil from their prized olives. After subjecting these fruits to the merciless grinding of a mill, they carefully placed them within net bags or scourtins, only to pile them high atop the grooved stone. A weighted wooden beam was then leveraged to apply crushing pressure, allowing the oil to seep out and flow smoothly around the groove into a waiting tank. This ingenious process not only showcases the Minoans' mastery of olive oil production but also provides crucial archaeological evidence linking the Santorini eruption to the Cretan olive industry's thriving status during the Late Bronze Age.