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Room 7 – Italy. The olive trees of Rome
The olive tree made a timid appearance in Italy three thousand years ago, but it spread through the commerce with the Phoenician and Carthaginians merchants and from the Grecian colonies especially from the beginning of the VII B.C. Etruscans and Italians purchased oil from the Greek and Phoenician merchants and from these populations they learnt the techniques of cultivation and extraction of the oil. Latin authors such as Catone and Columella wrote volumes on how to cultivate the trees and how to produce the best quality oil.

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Various kinds of vases, with new and unusual shapes and decorations, created by the Greeks in their colonies in Italy are displayed against a background of ancient scenes of banquets or personal care. In the cities of Magna Grecia olive oil was necessary for use in alimentation, cosmetics, rites and illumination.
 

A plate for serving fish
Plates such as these were used during banquets for serving fish; they were decorated with scenes of fish and other marine animals with great realism. Their origin is to be found in Greece but they became enormously widespread in Italy where they were produced in almost all of the southern regions.

Material: ceramic
Manufacturing technique: lathe, red figures
Origin: Magna Grecia
Dated: 400-300 B.C.
Use: table service