Edited by: Fani Hatjina, Georgios Mavrofridis, Richard Jones BEEKEEPING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT Front cover photographs Part of a beehive lid. Early Byzantine period (Mesogeia plain, Attica. “Exhibition of Archaeological Findings”, Athens International Airport. Photo: G. Mavrofridis). Beehive from a country house of the 4th century B.C. (Mesogeia plain, Attica. “Exhibition of Archaeological Findings”, Athens International Airport. Photo: G. Mavrofridis). Traditional ceramic beehive “kambana” (bell) in its bee bole (Andros Island. Photo: F. Hatjina). Back cover photographs Stone built apiary of the 18th century from Neochori, Messinia, Peloponnese (Photo: G. Ratia). Ruins of a bee house from Andros Island. Inside view (Photos: G. Ratia). Walls of a mill house with bee balls from Andros Island. Inside view (Photo: G. Ratia). Traditional pottery beehives and their bee boles: the ‘bee garden’, Andros Island (Photo: G. Ratia). Ruins of a bee house (the ‘cupboards’) from Zaharias, Andros Island. Outside view (Photo: G. Ratia). Bee boles from Andros Island (Photo: G. Ratia). Edited by: Nea Moudania 2017 Fani Hatjina, Georgios Mavrofridis, Richard Jones Based on selected presentations of the INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM of BEEKEEPING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SYROS, OCTOBER 9-11 2014 © DIVISION of APICULTURE Hellenic Agricultural Organization “DEMETER”-GREECE CHAMBER of CYCLADES EVA CRANE TRUST - UK Dedicated to the memory of Thanassis Bikos hanassis Bikos was a pioneer of the valuable legacy for current and future research- systematic research on traditional bee- ers of the beekeeping tradition. keeping in Greece. From the early 1990s The creation of a museum of Greek beekeep- until the end of his life he studied the ing was a life dream for Thanassis, for which traditionalT beekeeping aspects in most regions he gathered material for more than thirty-five of Greece. The results of his research were con- years. After retiring from the Ministry of Rural tinuously communicated through articles under Development and Food, where he served as an the general title “Beekeeping Recordings” in the agronomist (at the Department of Apiculture), Greek Beekeeping magazine “Melissokomiki he dedicated his time to the realization of the Epitheorisi” without missing relevant beekeep- museum idea, working on a voluntary basis for ing symposia and congresses or the publication many years. Unfortunately, untimely death did of articles in international journals. The vast vol- not allow him to fully complete his work. How- ume of the primary material published is now a ever, he will always be with us. CONTENTS 13 ............ Foreword 126 ......... Stone beehives on the islands of the Eastern Mediterranean 14 ............ Preface: Beekeeping in the Mediterranean from antiquity to the present Georgios Mavrofridis Richard Jones 136 ......... Stefanos G. Della Rocca, the father of beekeeping 18 ............ Beekeeping in prehistoric Greece Domenikos Sagkinetos Haralampos V. Harissis 138 ......... A brief review on the detection of local honey bee populations in Greece 40 ............ The iron age apiary at Tel Rehov, Israel based on genetic structure studies Amihai Mazar Maria Bouga 50 ............ The quest for the perfect hive: Ancient Mediterranean origins 143 ......... Importance of adaptation of bee populations on their local environment Gene Kritsky - the European initiative and its results in the Greek territory - the Greek 56 ............ Kings and queens of the bees in the literary and the scientific tradition initiative for the conservation and breeding of the local populations Maria Deliyannis, Evangelia Tsatsarou, Georgia Tsapi, Alexandros Gousiaris Fani Hatjina 69 ............ The construction of two copies of ancient Greek clay beehives and the 152 ......... Aknowledgements control of their colonies’ homeostasis 154 ......... Book Contributors Katerina Kalogirou, Alexandros Papachristoforou 79 ............ Beekeeping practices in Agathonisi during antiquity Christos Giannas 85 ............ Beekeeping in Turkey: Past to present Irfan Kandemir 93 ............ Honey culture in Byzantium - An outline of textual, iconographic and archaeological evidence Sophia Germanidou 105 ......... Wild and domestic honey in middle Byzantine hagiography: Some issues relating to its production, collection and consumption Ilias Anagnostakis 119 ......... Beekeeping in Attica during the Ottoman period (1456-1821): A monas- tic affair Georgios Pallis FOREWARD 13 FOREWORD ore than 250 individuals simultane- the President of Chamber of Cyclades Mr. John ously watched the first International Roussos “one such Symposium dynamics has Beekeeping Symposium on Cyclades three main objectives: to better inform all stake by eight Cycladic islands the ex- holders, to improve networking of stakeholders Mcellent presentations by 30 renowned experts and to develop common ideas and commit- from Greece and abroad. “Beekeeping in the ments for the beekeeping sector”. Mediterranean from antiquity to the present” was completed by a collaboration between the The abstract book of all conference contribu- Cyclades Chamber, the Eva Crane Trust and the tions including the Greek translations of the ab- Greek Agricultural Organization “DEMETER” . The stracts can be found online (http://hellenic-beer- Symposium was very successful as highlighted esearch.gr/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ issues of beekeeping in the region, history and Beekeeping-Symposium_Syros-2014_Ab- topical concerns. stract-book_5.pdf). However, several of the conference contributors were willing to prepare Important findings, historical and archaeolog- a detailed article based on their talk and that is ical, presented by Israel, Turkey, Egypt, the Cy- how this book came to realization. We wish to clades and the Mediterranean in general, cov- thank all authors for their valuable contribu- ering 4.000 years course of beekeeping practice tions, as well as the funding bodies which make through the centuries and new findings in rela- this publication possible. tion to the local bee races. Topical issues, con- cerns and practices were also presented in an attempt at broad coverage of all major issues The Editors facing modern beekeepers. As underlined by April 2017 14 PREFACE PREFACE 15 PREFACE BEEKEEPING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN FROM ANTIQUITY TO THE PRESENT Richard Jones Chairman of the EVA CRANE TRUST [email protected] he Eva Crane Trust was established in 2000 by Dr Crane herself. It is a grant giving organ- ization dedicated to continuing her work and interests. who went to Crete to teach beekeeping but the men many others would have had contact with the travel- T did not like being taught by a woman so she taught lers, which in turn gave access to ideas and practices The content of this symposium would have de- the beekeepers’ wives instead. When they became found in the wider world. These outside influences lighted Dr Crane. The contributors to the talks and the better beekeepers the men were prepared, after could affect all facets of life including beekeeping. to this book are learned academicians who are very all, to take lessons from a woman! informed on different beekeeping developments in Wild bees gave a product for which there was a the eastern Mediterranean. It is an area which can Dr Crane’s theories on the transmission of bee- continual and increasing demand – honey. Therefore, rightly hold the title the “cradle of beekeeping as we keeping techniques around the Mediterranean were to try and meet the demand human beings attempt- know it today”. Dr Crane recognised this in her work. based on: ed to create/copy the nests used by the cavity nesting By seeking out and recording beekeeping through • Evidence of excavated material. honey bee - Apis mellifera. the ages in the area she set the foundations and gave • Written texts including those from Ancient times. impetus and inspiration to many who have followed. • Comparison of traditional beekeeping methods These nest sites (hives) were constructed out of By outlining Dr Crane’s work I hope to set the stage on with what is done today. whatever material was plentiful in the area. Upright which others, more expert than I, can show you how All these sources indicate that the area, usual- cork hives were to be found in Sardinia, log hives in beekeeping developed in the region. ly referred to as the Middle East, was probably the Tuscany, clay horizontal cannon hives in Crete and Eva Crane was born just over 100 years ago she birthplace of beekeeping as we know it today. Until so on. The cannon clay cylinder hives on Crete open went to University and studied mathematics and The Archaeology of Beekeeping, published by Duck- the 21st century, the earliest hives found had been in at both ends are similar to those seen in Egypt and physics. She became interested in bees during World worth, London 1983. Greece and dated from the 5th century BCE. However, elsewhere in the Middle East. The proximity of Crete War II when she had her first hive. From then on she Bees and Beekeeping – Science, Practice and Re- the recent (2008 onwards) discoveries at Tel Rehov in to Africa would give credence to the theory that started gathering everything that was written on sources, published by Heinemann, London 1990. Israel show hives in an apiary from the time of King beekeeping using this type of hive may have spread bees, bee products and bee science and then set The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunt- Solomon (circa 990–970 BCE). In these early histor-