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3000 year old Bee-hive discovered in Palestine |
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Written by Islamic Times
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Thursday, 06 September 2007 |
Archaeologists have discovered
3,000-year-old undamaged beehives, which they believe are the oldest evidence of
a beekeeping industry.
The discovery includes 30 intact hives dating
to around 900 B.C. which have been found in the city of Rehov in northern
Palestine.
“Although many ancient artworks depicted bees and beekeeping,
nothing has ever been found similar to the Rehov hives before”, explained
archaeologist Amihai Mazar of Jerusalem's Hebrew University.
The
beehives are made of straw and unbaked clay, having a hole at one end for the
bees to travel in and out of the hive, and a lid on the other end for the
beekeepers to have access to the honeycombs inside.
“We have seen
depictions of beekeeping in texts and ancient art from the Near East, but this
is the first time we've been able to actually feel and see the industry," said
Ezra Marcus, an expert on the ancient Mediterranean world at Haifa University.
“The discovery is unique because it is found in the middle of a thriving
city”, said Marcus, adding that “It is a strange place for thousands of bees”.
“This may have had two reasons, the ruler's desire to keep the industry
under his control, or the residents' religious practices”, he added.
“An
altar decorated with fertility figurines, found alongside the hives makes the
second hypothesis to seem more believable”, he said.
Beekeeping was
widely practiced in the ancient world, where honey was used for medicinal,
religious, and nutritional purposes.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 January 2008 )
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