Determining the age of olive trees is a difficult task due to their continuous growth over many centuries. However, thanks to the latest research methods, scientists were able to determine that one of the olive trees in the world is older than all of its companions.
In the small village of Bsaleh in the north of Lebanon, several olive trees steeped in local legends and nicknamed "Noah's trees" were considered thousands of years old, which connected them with the biblical story of Noah's ark. However, recent scientific research has shed light on the real age of these plants, revealing much more unique features of some of them than they could have expected, writes The New York Times.
Dating olive trees is not an easy task because they grow irregularly and often have hollow or multi-trunked trunks, which makes it impossible to read their age from a cross-section and blurs the boundaries of their history. Unlike many other trees, olives do not always have clear annual growth rings, which complicates the task of dendrochronologists — specialists in tree age rings — to determine their age. Previous attempts to date these trees by their diameter and appearance often resulted in serious inaccuracies, the study said.
To overcome these obstacles with the help of modern technologies, a team of scientists went to Bshaaleh. To determine the age of the tree, they used the carbon-14 dating method, which measures the decay of radioactive carbon in the oldest wood. This method, although difficult given the complex structure of trees, gave scientists the opportunity to calculate their age. Among the trees examined was one that witnessed thousands of years of human history, along with others that are several centuries old, making it the oldest olive tree in the world, over 1,100 years old.
These trees are not just plants; they are a symbol of local identity and pride, and their fruit plays a central role in the community's annual harvest. And while they may not be as ancient as previously thought, their cultural heritage is still great.
