Researchers have recently unearthed a fascinating find from the past. They discovered remnants of honey that date back 2,500 years, sealed within a ship and buried underground for nearly three millennia.
This residue was identified in bronze jars located at an ancient Greek shrine in Pestelm, which is in modern-day Campania, Italy. The jar itself dates back to the 6th century BC and was first uncovered by archaeologists back in 1954, but the contents remained unexplored until now.
According to a study published by the American Chemical Society on July 30, experts concluded that the waxy remnants were indeed honey. Luciana Carvalho, a researcher at Oxford University, noted that it looks quite different from the golden honey many of us keep in our pantries today.
“Ancient honey was completely distinct from the clear, smooth honey we buy now,” she explained. “Back then, there was none of the ultra-high filtration, pasteurization, or synthetic pesticides that we have today.”
Chemical analysis suggests that these jars still contained raw honeycomb, contrasting with the mostly mixed honey products we find in stores today. Carvalho pointed out that if honey had been mixed with something like milk, one would expect to see higher levels of fatty acids in the residue, but that isn’t the case here.
However, it’s worth noting that raw honeycomb has changed significantly over the centuries. Carvalho and her colleagues found that the sugars in the honey gradually darkened and became more acidic over time.
“After 2,500 years, most of the original sugar has broken down and been consumed by microorganisms, leaving the residue virtually without sweetness,” she stated.
She explained that the sugar reacted slowly with proteins, in a manner similar to how bread browns during baking, leading to its darker and more acidic nature. As a result, the surviving residue isn’t particularly appetizing any longer.
“What remains is a waxy substance that has a slight tang and is almost devoid of sweetness,” Carvalho added.
The bronze bottle contained a cork disk sealing its neck, indicating it was likely placed there as part of a ritual. Inside, the residue clings to the jar, giving insight into their ancient practices.
“We hope that our approach will pave the way for identifying honey residues in other museum collections, shedding light on honey’s role in ancient beekeeping, diet, medicine, and rituals,” Carvalho remarked.
Previously, researchers in the 1980s believed honey consisted of wax, fat, and resin, but Carvalho noted that those findings were limited by the technology available at the time. “Those methods were great for detecting fats and waxes but struggled with sugars and proteins,” she explained.
The current research employed various modern technologies, allowing for a more comprehensive analysis of different types of molecules, including sugars and proteins. Collaboration among museum curators, scientists, and their community played a significant role in this intriguing discovery.
This study adds to a string of remarkable ancient food discoveries this year. In Guam, rice dating back 3,500 years was recently found, marking the oldest known rice in remote Oceania. Earlier this year, archaeologists in Türkiye uncovered well-preserved bread from the Bronze Age.
