A Symbol of Immortality: Evidence of Honey in Bronze Jars Found in a Paestum Shrine Dating to 530–510 BCE

2025/07/30 by Luciana da Costa Carvalho, Elisabete Pires, Kelly Domoney +2 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Bee Products Chemical Analysis #Insect and Pesticide Research #Plant and animal studies

paper · doi:10.1021/jacs.5c04888

openalex publication_date 2025/07/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

This study re-examines a 2500-year-old residue found in bronze jars at an underground shrine in Paestum (Italy), previously identified as a wax/fat/resin mixture excluding honey from its composition. Our multianalytical approach detected lipids, saccharide decomposition products, hexose sugars, and major royal jelly proteins supporting the hypothesis that the jars once also contained honey/honeycombs. The research highlights the value of reinvestigating archeological residues in museums with advanced biomolecular techniques and offers a more specific method for detecting bee products in ancient contexts.

Citations

• Honey as medicine: historical perspectives
• Varroa destructor: A Complex Parasite, Crippling Honey Bees Worldwide
• THE SACRED POWER OF FAT AND HONEY IN SAN AND ANCIENT GREEK MYTH AND RITUAL
• Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase

Discussions

• **A Symbol of Immortality: Evidence of Honey in Bronze Jars Found in a Paestum Shrine Dating to 530–510 BCE** "_Our multianalytical approach detected lipids, saccharide decomposition products, hexose [mastodon, 0 points, 0 comments]

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