The Olive Culture: From Antiquity to Industrialisation

Sunday 29 November 2026 | 4:00pm Cypriot Community Centre, Wood Green, London Admission is free. but advance registration via Eventbrite.

As part of the Cultural Section's November programme celebrating the archaeology of Cyprus, join us for a fascinating lecture by one of Cyprus's most distinguished archaeologists, Dr Sophocles Hadjisavvas, former Director of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus.

For thousands of years, the olive tree has shaped the landscapes, economy and cultural identity of Cyprus and the wider Mediterranean. Described in antiquity as a divine gift to humankind, the olive has nourished generations, inspired artistic expression and driven technological innovation.

In this richly illustrated lecture, Dr Hadjisavvas explores the remarkable story of olive oil production from prehistoric Cyprus to the dawn of industrialisation. Through archaeological discoveries and decades of pioneering research, he traces the evolution of olive-processing technology, revealing how the production of olive oil transformed societies, economies and everyday life across the island. The lecture will also highlight the olive's enduring place in art, tradition and Mediterranean civilisation.

Dr Sophocles Hadjisavvas is internationally recognised for his archaeological excavations at the Tombs of the Kings in Paphos, the Phoenician necropolis of Kition and the Late Bronze Age settlement of Alassa. A former Director of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus, he studied in Sofia, Cambridge and Gothenburg, where he completed his PhD. His publications and lectures on Cypriot archaeology, ancient technology, wine and olive oil production have earned international recognition.

He served as scientific adviser and head of the research that led to the creation of the Hellenic Museum of the Olive and Olive Oil in Sparta and has curated internationally acclaimed exhibitions, including From Ishtar to Aphrodite at the Onassis Cultural Center in New York and Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilisations at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in London and an Honorary Member of the Archaeological Society at Athens.

This lecture is organised by the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission in the UK in collaboration with the Union of Cypriots in England (Enosi Kyprion Anglias – EKA) and is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr Eleni Palazidou, former President of EKA, whose vision inspired this event.

The lecture forms part of a wider autumn programme celebrating the archaeology and cultural heritage of Cyprus. The season will also feature events at Cyprus House in collaboration with the British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum during the preceding weekend, before concluding with a special educational event at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford on 13 December 2026.

Admission is free, but advance registration via Eventbrite.. Everyone is welcome.