[SustainableTompkins] Archaeologists discover ancient beehives

[David Hessler]

Thanks for the link Tony, interesting article. As an avid newbie 
beekeeper myself, I found this comment pretty funny:

<<This might have been because the city's ruler wanted the industry 
under his control, Marcus said, or because the beekeeping industry was 
linked to residents' religious practices, as might be indicated by an 
altar decorated with fertility figurines that archaeologists found 
alongside the hives.>>

I wonder if maybe the residents of Rehov simply hadn't forgotten (yet) 
that bees are critical to productive farming and so they kept them close 
to the geometric center of agricultural activity (the town), where it 
would be easy to do maintenance.

Interesting our culture's built-in bias towards "old means primitive and 
superstitious".

This comment made me think of archaeologists 1000 years from now digging 
up televisions...

"Dateline 3021 AD - New Eastern Coastal province. Archaeologists 
excavating near the site of an ancient city called "Wasningtown" have 
discovered a set of symmetrical buildings which appear to be a form of 
housing. Compartments within each building may have been rooms. 
Interestingly, most of these rooms contain various sized boxes which may 
have had a glass panel in them. Given the large number of these devices 
placed in prominent places, archaeologists theorize that they are some 
form of ancient religious artifact: perhaps an altar constructed to 
bring good luck and fortune upon the occupants."






Tony Del Plato wrote:
> Off topic story but very interesting.
> Tony Del Plato
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> Archaeologists discover ancient beehives - Yahoo! News
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> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070905/ap_on_sc/ancient_honey
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