Bees and Man: The History and Agricultural Significance

Bees and Man

Mankind has held the honey bee in adoring reverence, either as a being of divinity in and of itself, or as a messenger of the god(s). All of the continents that have evolved with bees in their landscapes, have induced awe among the human populations, by serving as role models for advancing civilizations, as personal representatives of power, and symbols of nobility. The activities of the honey bee, has provided nourishment for the Earth’s inhabitants, either directly or indirectly. Bee products have been used in many varied ways, from ritual offerings, to forms of market exchange. Honey bees have helped to reduce pain and suffering with the medicinal properties of their alchemical secretions, and aided us in our artistic endeavors, all while slaking our sweet tooth.

Long before homo sapiens appeared on the Earth, honey bees were busily pollinating the flowering trees and other plants, whilst honing their honey craft. Numerous examples of primitive artwork in widely dispersed locations depict the relationship between bees and our ancestors.

Around 13500 BC, the earliest known documentation of mankind’s relationship with the bee, appears in a detailed rendition, of our ancestors foraging activities, in what will become known as a “honey hunt,” on the walls of a cave in Altamira, Northern Spain. (Crane 37)

Honey hunting involved the seeking out of the wild hives and in the daring and often painful plunder of the contents therein. The very nature of the honey bee demands respect. Their sting serves as an instant reminder should the hunter become too complacent. Honey hunting was usually carried out by men, and was often used as a rite of passage. Our ancestors developed ingenious ways of locating the...

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...orse) The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists the amount of honey produced by large Apiculturists, not including the honey production from hobbyists, to be 175,904,000 pounds valued at $281,974,000.00 ("National Agricultural Statistics Services of the USDA")

Works Cited

Crane, Eva. The world history of beekeeping and honey hunting. 1st. New York, NY: Routledge, 1999. 37. Print.

L., Stephen, Stephen Buchmann, and Banning Repplier. Letters from the Hive: An Intimate History of Bees, Honey, and Humankind. 1st. New York, NY: Bantam, 2006. Print.

Ransome, Hilda. The Sacred Bee in Ancient Times and Folklore. 1st. Mineola, NY: Dover Pubns, 2004. 58. Print.

, Roger. "The Value of Honey Bees as Pollinators of U.S. Crops in 2000." March 2000: n. pag. Web. 17 Apr 2011.

United States of America. National Agricultural Statistics Services of the USDA. , Print.