Tunisia important in Olive oil production

[guy]

 

Recent research suggests that Henchir el Begar, Tunisia, was home to the second-largest olive oil mill in the Roman Empire (see picture above).

Olive oil was a vital part of life in Ancient Rome. It played a significant role in the diet and was also used for washing, medicine, and lighting.

Archaeologists have uncovered the second-largest Roman olive oil mill in the Empire, located in Tunisia’s Kasserine region, which reveals the scale and sophistication of Roman Africa’s agricultural economy.

🏺 Key Findings

Location: Excavations at Henchir el Begar (ancient Saltus Beguensis), near Cillium on the Algerian border.

Scale: The site includes two monumental torcularia (olive pressing facilities).

Hr Begar 1: The largest Roman oil mill in Tunisia, and the second largest in the Empire, with twelve beam presses.

Hr Begar 2: A second plant with eight presses.

Chronology: Both mills operated between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE, showing centuries of continuous production.

Estate Context: The site was part of a large rural estate once owned by Lucillius Africanus, a Roman senator. A Latin inscription from 138 CE records a senate consultation that authorized a bi-monthly market there.

Agricultural Mix: Multiple millstones and mills suggest the simultaneous production of cereals and oil, indicating diversified farming.

Settlement: Excavations revealed a rural vicus (village), cisterns, water basins, and a dense network of roads and housing, showing a highly organized rural landscape.

🌍 Historical Significance

Economic Role: Tunisia was the main supplier of olive oil to Rome, vital for cooking, body care, medicine, sports, and even lighting fuel.

Frontier Society: The region was a meeting point of Roman colonists, veterans, and indigenous Numidian groups (Musulamii), highlighting cultural and economic integration.

Archaeology of Production: This discovery emphasizes the industrial scale of Roman agriculture, challenging the idea of small, local farms. It shows how frontier estates were central to imperial supply chains.

🔎 Broader Impact

The mission, co-directed by Ca’ Foscari University of Venice with Tunisian and Spanish partners, demonstrates the value of international collaboration in uncovering the economic backbone of Roman Africa.

Finds from later layers (Byzantine and modern) include jewelry, projectiles, and reused architectural fragments, showing the site’s long-term occupation.

Scholars stress that studying production, marketing, and transport of olive oil offers unprecedented insight into Roman socio-economic organization.

In short: The Henchir el Begar mills reveal Roman Africa as an agricultural powerhouse, supplying Rome with olive oil on an industrial scale. The discovery reframes frontier estates not as peripheral but as central engines of imperial economy and daily life.

 

https://phys.org/news/2025-11-archaeologists-reveal-largest-roman-olive.html

Edited November 19, 2025 by guy