Olive Press

Olive Presses are a traditional process used by means of mechanical pressure where the olive paste was spread onto mats, layered and then a huge hydraulic ram would squeeze the liquid from them.  The liquid contained the oil and the water from the fruit.  So, olive oil floats on top of the water and a skimming process poured the olive oil from the water.  Traditional olive oil pressing techniques date back over 4000 years to a tomb on the island of Naxos in the Aegean Sea.  See also Traditional Olive Press