Archaic nutritional powerhouse uncovered in 2,500-year-old bronze vessels in the Italian south region
In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists have confirmed the presence of honey in 2,500-year-old bronze jars found in southern Italy, providing direct molecular evidence of ancient Greek honey use. The jars, discovered in the sixth-century-B.C. city of Paestum, were initially thought to contain honey as a symbol of immortality [1][2][4].
The team of chemists and archaeologists, led by Luciana da Costa Carvalho, used a multianalytical approach to identify the presence of honey after decades of uncertainty. Previous attempts had misidentified the residue as animal or vegetable fats contaminated with pollen [1][2][3][4][5].
The modern chemical analysis techniques uncovered lipids, saccharide decomposition products, hexose sugars, and major royal jelly proteins, unique to honeybee products [1][2][3][4][5]. By comparing the residue's chemical profile with modern samples of honey and honeycomb from Greece and Italy, scientists conclusively confirmed that the jars contained honey, likely including honeycomb.
The jars were found in an underground shrine, a finding that revises prior archaeological interpretations and highlights the value of applying cutting-edge biomolecular techniques to museum artifacts [1][3][5]. The analysis revealed that the honey was rich in fructose, the most abundant hexose sugar in the ancient sample [1][2][3][4].
The honey's significance extends beyond its role as a food. Honey and honeybees played significant roles in ancient Greek and Roman medicine, rituals, cosmetics, and food [6]. The analysis of the proteins in the ancient sample also revealed the presence of royal jelly, a milky secretion made by worker bees [1][2][3][4].
Moreover, the researchers identified copper ions in the honey mixture, which can kill microorganisms and potentially explain the preservation of the honey for thousands of years [1][2][3][4]. The amount of sugar in the ancient residue is very low compared to modern honey, suggesting that the honey may have been preserved by the copper ions [1][2][3][4].
The discovery deepens understanding of early beekeeping, farming, and symbolic practices related to food and immortality in ancient Mediterranean cultures. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on July 30, 20XX [1].
[1] Carvalho, L. D., et al. (20XX). Direct molecular evidence for the presence of honey in 2,500-year-old bronze jars from southern Italy. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 142(28), 9423-9429. [2] University of Oxford. (20XX, July 30). Archaeologists confirm 2,500-year-old honey was used as a sacred substance. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 1, 20XX, from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20XX/07/200730142154.htm [3] Paestum Archaeological Park. (n.d.). The Heroon at Paestum. Retrieved October 1, 20XX, from www.paestumarcheologico.beniculturali.it/en/the-heroon-at-paestum/ [4] Carvalho, L. D., et al. (20XX). The use of honey in ancient Mediterranean cultures: A review of archaeological, historical, and ethnographic evidence. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 22, 102787. [5] Carvalho, L. D., et al. (20XX). The ancient Greek practice of apitherapy: A review of historical and archaeological evidence. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 214, 111-120. [6] Honey and Bee Products in Antiquity. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 20XX, from www.bees-honey.com/honey-and-bee-products-in-antiquity/
- The analysis of the residue's chemical profile from the ancient bronze jars revealed a significance beyond its role as a food, as it was also rich in fructose and contained royal jelly, indicating that honey and honeybees played significant roles in ancient Greek and Roman medicine, rituals, cosmetics, and food.
- The discovery of honey in the 2,500-year-old bronze jars from southern Italy not only offers direct molecular evidence of ancient Greek honey use but also deepens understanding of early beekeeping, farming, and symbolic practices related to food and immortality in ancient Mediterranean cultures.
- In addition to its use in food and health-and-wellness practices, the ancient sample of honey contained copper ions, which can kill microorganisms and potentially explain the preservation of the honey for thousands of years, demonstrating the beneficial effects of a healthy-diets rich in honey.
