Humans Minded Their Beeswax 9,000 Years Ago
Traces found on pottery from Neolithic agriculture indicate early farmers were using both honey and beeswax.
Archaeologists find evidence of the use of bee products by the earliest farmers
It was known that humans have long made use of bee products, based on depictions in primitive cave art as well as murals from ancient Egypt. But a new study by Professor Richard Evershed, from The Department of Chemistry at the University of Bristol in England, proves that humans have been exploiting bees for thousands of years.
Chemical analysis of evidence of pottery, from over 100 Neolithic sites in Europe, prove that early human farmers were using bee products nearly 9,000 years ago.
Honey may have been a sweetener, while beeswax may have been used to seal pots containing liquids, including water. It is not clear if farmers were beekeepers or simply using bees in the wild.
Related Links
- Paper in Nature
- Nature news story
- University of Bristol release
- Science Magazine story
- BBC news story