Page 150 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

What is Bee-keeping in

Ancient Egypt
honey Honey had special signifi cance in
Ancient Egypt, and was used in
medicine, ointments, wine and food.
Some temples contain reliefs showing
beehives and how beekeepers used the
hunting? technique of smoking out bees while
they collected the honeycomb. The bees
themselves were named ‘tears of Ra’, as
it was believed they were created by the
sun god weeping.
The oldest written reference to honey
is from 5500 BCE, and by 3500-3100
Discover the terrifying lengths people bees in Kathmandu BCE the fertile banks of the Nile were so
A colony of wild
perfect for beekeeping that Lower Egypt
will go to to satisfy their sweet tooth Valley, Nepal was called ‘Bee Land’. Its ruler took the
title ‘bjtj’, which means ‘he of the bee’.
Although they had domesticated
oney is the world’s most common natural mountain gods in the hope that they will deliver a beehives, Egyptians also valued wild
sweetener, and from as early as good honey harvest in return. honey. The Pharaoh (whose title included
HPalaeolithic times – 2.6 million years ago Each region of Nepal has its own distinctive ‘Sedge and Bee’, to symbolise the
grasses of Upper Egypt and the honey of
– our early Hominin ancestors were harvesting it honey hunting technique, but all of them involve Lower Egypt) would send armed guards

from wild bees. Today, honey hunting is still lighting a fire under the nest to ‘smoke out’ the to protect honey hunters on their
practised by traditional cultures in Africa, Asia, bees, leaving the hive exposed. Men with rope expeditions into the desert, while the
South America and Australia. ladders descend the cliff face armed with baskets official Sealer of the Honey ensured

However, it’s in Nepal where this ancient practice and poles, while others keep watch, raising or quality control in the fi nished product.
is perhaps demonstrated at its most dramatic, as at lowering the daring honey hunter’s ladder up to 91

least five different species of honeybee can be metres (300 feet) above the ground. A basket on a
found nesting on the formidable cliff faces of the pole is held under the hive, while another pole with
Himalayan Mountains. Still at the heart of life, a sharp blade neatly cuts out the honeycombs,
honey is used in tea by the villagers and sold to letting them drop into the basket below.
Japan, China and Korea for use in traditional Requiring huge skill, patience and self-control, The tomb of Senusret I
shows a hieroglyph of a
medicine. As a testament to its importance, the the honey hunter can take up to three hours honey bee
Gurung people of Nepal even sacrifice a sheep to the harvesting just the one hive.

Braving
the bees
The tools and techniques
of Nepal’s honey hunters

© Keith Schengili-Roberts; Corbis; Alamy

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