Lallemantia oil is a seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the Lallemantia iberica

Lallemantia iberica

Lallemantia iberica is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae.Originally from southwestern Asia it spread as a cultivated plant in prehistoric times to southeastern Europe, where, according to archaeobotanical research at sites in northern Greece, it was grown and the seeds were stored. The...

. It contains 68% linolenic acid, making it an unusually rich source, and of potential commercial interest.Lallemantia oil has been discovered at a number of archeological sites in northern Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, dating from the Bronze Age

Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

. As the plant is not native to this region, the presence of this oil suggests that it was imported from further east.

Uses

Lallemantia oil is a drying oil

Drying oil

A drying oil is an oil that hardens to a tough, solid film after a period of exposure to air. The oil hardens through a chemical reaction in which the components crosslink by the action of oxygen . Drying oils are a key component of oil paint and some varnishes...

, and can be used as a substitute for linseed oil

Linseed oil

Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is a clear to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant . The oil is obtained by cold pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction...

in this and other contexts. The oil is also edible.