Gathering honey in prehistoric times. This
rock painting, found in the Spider Cave at
Valencia, Spain, dates back to about 8000 BCE
and appears to show two people raiding a
wild beehive. The leader (enlarged at right)
may be carrying a basket for the honeycomb.
Artificial hives and the domestication of bees
are known from about 2500 BCE in Egypt.
(Redrawn from H. Ransome, The Sacred Bee,
1937.)
The History of Sugars
and Confectionery
Before Sugar: Honey