History of honey: interesting facts and the first mention of honey

The history of honey is an amazing story about the close relationship between man and bees. About how long was the path from the first collected delicacy to the mass production of nectar. And how much effort needed to be applied so that the wild insect could finally make friends with us.

The first mention of honey

Today, scientists are confident that the primitive man began to hunt wild bee hives in the Stone Age. This skill passed to him from distant ancestors - the higher primates. For example, even today one can observe how our relatives monkeys steal a sweet treat from these insects.

As for the undeniable facts, in the Aran cave (Valencia, Spain) a unique rock carvings are found. It depicts a man with a purse, which climbs on a steep rock or tree, surrounded by wild bees. According to radiocarbon research, the age of this find varies from 7 to 8 thousand years.

Ancient Egypt

Honey and bees were in special account among the Egyptian pharaohs. Their images are present on many papyri and frescoes. For example, the oldest of them - Smith's papyrus dates back to 1700 BC. It describes how to use bees nectar for wound healing.

In addition, the history of honey in this country is closely intertwined with the ritual of death. The fact is that the ancient priests used this raw material as one of the ingredients for embalming the mummies. Thus, nectar was one of the most expensive products on the Egyptian market. Buy it could only wealthy people, the rest had to independently hunt for beehives of wild bees.

The first "beekeepers"

The history of honey tells us that the ancient Greeks were the first to study the habits of bees. They seriously thought about how to tame these insects. For example, the famous scientist Xenophon (circa 400 BC) wrote a whole treatise on the art of honey mining. It was very informative work, which even today deserves the highest praise.

Another researcher of the bee kingdom is Aristotle. According to ancient sources, this philosopher had his own apiary. Naturally, it was very different from modern. But the very fact that the Greeks in the year 400 BC kept wild insects, makes them bow their heads to their ingenuity.

The Roman Empire

In Roman law, honey and bees were protected by law. No one could harm the beekeeper's beehives, let alone take them. Exceptions were only those cases when worker bees left their home and went to look for a new colony. Then, according to the law, they were considered no-man's land, and any beekeeper could shelter them.

It should also be noted that honey was a very valuable commodity in the Roman market. It was used for cooking dishes, aromatics and even in medicine. There was a time when it was used as an additional currency. For honey you could buy things, building materials, slaves and so on.

Countries in Asia

In India honey began to be extracted 4-5 thousand years ago. This is evidenced by the texts of the ancient Vedas. According to them, this delicacy was one of the most precious gifts of the gods. Therefore, his presence on the table promised prosperity and health for the family.

Where more sophisticated were the Chinese. In this country, honey was used to make medicines. What can I say, even working bees and drones used in folk medicine. Healers believed that nectar can cure the stomach and spleen, and insects themselves help improve blood circulation.

Japanese emperors also liked honey. In this country it was used both in cooking and in medical needs. True, the local climate was not suitable for beekeeping, and therefore the Japanese have been the greatest buyers of sweet extract since time immemorial. Even today, they are on the third place in terms of imports, behind only the US and Germany.

The world of American Indians

The indigenous inhabitants of America were most fortunate. Their bees evolved into a special kind, which from birth was devoid of sting. Therefore, in these parts, you could collect honey without fear for your life.

As for the Indians themselves, they believed that the gods sent nectar to them. They believed in his miraculous power. For example, if you present honey as a gift to the altar, the higher forces will take care of the land and will not let the drought ruin it.

African tribes

If you believe the research of scientists, the history of honey originates in Africa. It is in these parts that the first honey bee appeared. Therefore, it is not surprising that African tribes are the best at finding this delicacy.

Their secret lies in the wonderful symbiosis of birds and humans. Medoukazchik - this is the name of the feathered toddler, who dwells practically throughout the entire Black Continent. His name speaks for itself. The bird loves beeswax, and therefore easily finds a hive in the wild.

Naturally, African peoples know about this feature. They tame the health workers, and then use them in their hunting. Curiously, even today, this method of mining honey is used by local tribes.

Severe Middle Ages

In medieval Europe, nectar was worth its weight in gold. This was due to the fact that most sweets were made on its basis. In addition, in those days, the common people experienced an acute shortage in high-calorie food, and life-giving honey easily filled the lack of energy.

Such demand led to the fact that ingenious people invented the first wicker beehives. This was a serious breakthrough in beekeeping. However, most of the rights to produce honey belonged to aristocrats and the church. Therefore, it was not possible to extract nectar in large volumes.

Slavic craftsmen

Our ancestors well knew who brings more honey: a wild or domestic bee. Therefore, they were actively engaged in beekeeping (the original name of beekeeping in Russia). Instead of hives, they used huge, hollow wooden decks - sides.

To sell this product could all. But only a few were engaged in this profession. And all because the beads required not a lot of strength and stamina, but - more importantly - savvy.

Modern apiary

Studying interesting facts about honey and bees, people came to the conclusion that the principles of building a hive were finally understood. The greatest contribution to the development of beekeeping was made by the Russian scientist - Prokopovich Petr Ivanovich. It was he who in the beginning of the XIX century created the world's first frameless hive-a sapetka.

Later beekeeping became a whole science. Beekeepers from all countries worked diligently to improve bee-houses. Ultimately, the craftsmen built a modern honeycomb hive. Its beauty is that it allows you to collect honey without smoking bees from it. In addition, thanks to the ventilation system, the colony can breathe freely, which significantly increases the survival of insects.