[ Story of Fragrance ] [ Story of the Rose ] [ Story of the Camellia ] [ Fragrant Flowers of the East ]

Roses have bloomed since the Stone Age R. Phoenicia

Fossils found in the Colorado Rockies show markings of rose leaves. They probably are the oldest trace of the rose, dating back to the Paleolithic era, roughly 35 to 32 million years ago, when homo sapiens were still roaming about in the wilderness. The rose, which seems to have originated in Asia, emerges from around 3000 BC. in Asian documents as artistic motifs, and seems to have been introduced to Europe later on. Although in 800 BC., Homer sings of the "perfume of roses" and "rosy-fingered" in his works, the rose itself is not yet mentioned. It is thought that fragrant rose oil (attar of roses) was introduced to Europe first, and the enticing aroma eventually made way to the cultivation of the plant itself.