Surfing the universe one morning Gabe came upon a group of humans chiseling stone which depicted the collection of honey from wild bees around 10,000 years ago. Curiously he inquired as to the nature of the substance in the portrayal. Being preoccupied with their work they indicated a large stone with honey in a hollow and angry bees swarming around it. They then suggested he try some and resumed their chiseling. He was hooked. Stung, but hooked. Gabe now, like Winnie the Pooh is never far from a jar of honey. Delicious, healthy, fascinating, and delightful stuff. Beekeeping in pottery vessels began about 9,000 years ago in North Africa and for this reason it is one of his favorite places to visit.
Domestication of bees is shown in Egyptian art from around 4,500 years ago. Simple hives and smoke were used and honey was stored in jars, some of which were found in the tombs of pharaohs such as Tutankhamun. It wasn’t until the 18th century that Gabe while on another tour advised European honey gatherers on proper care of the colonies and biology of bees which allowed the construction of the movable comb hive so that honey could be harvested without destroying the entire colony.
At some point humans attempted to maintain colonies of wild bees in artificial hives made from hollow logs, wooden boxes, pottery vessels, and woven straw baskets or “skeps”. Traces of beeswax are found in potsherds throughout the Middle East beginning about 7000 BCE.
{Understanding the importance of physical fitness Gabe takes time out routinely for fine tuning his skills in marshal arts.}
Honeybees were kept in Egypt from antiquity. On the walls of the sun temple of Nyuserre Ini from the Fifth Dynasty, before 2422 BCE, workers are depicted blowing smoke into hives as they are removing honeycombs. Inscriptions detailing the production of honey are found on the tomb of Pabasa from the Twenty-sixth Dynasty (c. 650 BCE), depicting pouring honey in jars and cylindrical hives. Sealed pots of honey were also found in the grave goods of pharaohs such as young Tutankhamun with whom Gabe at times sipped tea with on the banks of the Nile.
Who would have guessed tetherball could be such a dangerous sport.
Practice, practice, practice…