Review article
Bees throught history
Zlatko Đukić
orcid.org/0009-0001-0916-0102
; University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
*
Robert Stubičar
orcid.org/0009-0008-5814-4978
; Osijek, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The history of bees begins deep in the past, and numerous archaeological findings testify to beekeeping as one of the oldest branches of agriculture. Honey, as the most famous bee product, was in the past placed behind wax, which had a higher value until the end of the 19th century. In the fertile areas of Egypt and Mesopotamia, some of the earliest archaeological evidence of organised beekeeping by beekeepers and the use of bee products was discovered as well. Honey was first collected from »natural« beehives in the environment, most often in the area of fertile river valleys. From the very beginnings of human activity, the population knew about the effects of honey on human health.
In the area of the Old East, certain areas are known for the cultivation of bees, from Palestine, where the term »honey and milk« signified biblical well-being, through Syria all the way to the entire area of the Mediterranean. The ancient Greeks and Romans were engaged in beekeeping, from where it spread to our regions. In the eighteenth century, the Empress Maria Theresa published the »Beekeeping Patent« from 1775 with instructions for future beekeepers, which was valid for the areas that were under the Habsburg Monarchy, including Croatia.
The importance of beekeeping is also reflected in the Adriatic medieval communal statutes that managed beekeeping from the protection of bees and beehives to the sale and payment/exemption of taxes. Certain medieval communal statutes in Croatia regulate the keeping of bees, which will be discussed in more detail in the paper itself.
Keywords
history of bees; honey; wax; beehive; agriculture; statutes; beekeeping codes
Hrčak ID:
320499
URI
Publication date:
3.9.2024.
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