Collecting honey since ancient times

The ancient cave drawing, dating back 8,000-10,000 years, is the oldest known record of honey collecting. Found in the Cuevas de la Araña (Spider Cave) in Valencia, Spain, it depicts a daring individual climbing a rope ladder along a cliffside to gather honey from a bee nest.

It’s incredible to see how even thousands of years ago, humans were risking it all for that golden sweetness. This artwork not only shows the resourcefulness of our ancestors but also highlights how deep our connection to honey really goes.

– Did you know, Honey?

• Bees have been populating our planet since before the beginning of human history. The oldest drawings of honey collectors were found in the caves of La Aranas near Valencia, and date back to 7000 b.C. However, fossils of honey bees have been found of which the age has been estimated at 150 million years!

• Extensive stories of bees and honey are known from every high culture of the Classical Era. Bees, and mainly their inexplicable skills for honey production, were admired and mythicised.

• Honey was honoured and hugely valued as food, but also as a beauty and medicinal remedy.

• In Ancient Egypt, honey was used as a sacrifice or grave interment for the journey to the afterlife. It was also use as a form of payment.

• Due to the difficult nature, honey was rarely harvested and belonged to one of the most coveted foods. Because of this, it was high in value, and honey thieves were severely punished.