According to an extensive international study in which the International Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) has participated, human beings have practiced beekeeping for at least 9,000 years. “Until now, the domestication of goats, pigs, cows and sheep has been extensively studied. This work opens the door to knowledge about the domestication of bees by the first communities of farmers and ranchers ”, explains Juan José Ibáñez, CSIC researcher at the Milà i Fontanals Institution in Barcelona.
The report, published this Wednesday in the journal Nature , details that remains of wax have been found in numerous Neolithic ceramic fragments from Anatolia, Europe and North Africa, which suggests the exploitation of the honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) practically since the birth of agriculture and livestock. The oldest vestige has been recorded in the Turkish site of Çatalhöyük (Turkey), and dates back to around 7,000 BC. C.
The problem with studying the association between the bee and the human being is that insects do not leave fossil footprints. But since wax (an undoubted product of beekeeping) is a stable compound, researchers have been able to trace its presence in 6,400 ceramic fragments belonging to 150 deposits. This has confirmed the ancient relationship between Apis mellifera and Homo sapiens , which previously could only be deduced from artistic representations in prehistoric caves and Egyptian murals.
The remains analyzed include pieces from the Neolithic enclave of Kobaederra (Vizcaya), dating back 7,000 years. Where no early samples of beekeeping have been found is in the 1,200 fragments of household utensils from Ireland, Scotland and Northern Scandinavia, probably because the climate prevented the survival of bees there.
Experts believe that the first reason to develop beekeeping was to produce honey, a sweetener in all probability highly valued in prehistory. As for the wax, it would surely have multiple uses , from the waterproofing of ceramic containers to its medicinal, cosmetic or ceremonial application.
