Dr. Shelby Justl, Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania
An American Research Center in Egypt – Pennsylvania Chapter (ARCE-PA) fall lecture. In-person attendance at the Penn Museum, Classroom L2. Sandwiches and beverages supplied by the ARCE-PA board for potluck at 5 pm after lecture; attendees are encouraged to bring something to share, or consider donating $5 to offset the cost.
$10 for the general public, $7 for Penn Museum members/Penn Staff/Penn Faculty, $5 for Students with ID, free for ARCE-PA Members, ARCE Members, & children under 12, unless otherwise stated.
Abstract
“With no sugarcane until 710 AD, honey was the major sweetener for ancient Egyptian food and wines, an important ingredient in medicine, and a valuable tribute commodity. Illustrations of apiculture are surprisingly rare and a lack of representation may indicate honey was a royal prerogative at least in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. However, honey production appears to be a more expansive industry from the New Kingdom onwards.
This talk assesses the extent of royal and temple control over beekeeping from the New Kingdom to the Ptolemaic Period through beekeeping titles, New Kingdom letters, the Wilbour Papyrus, Abydos Stela of Sheshonq, and Zenon archives. Location and size of beekeepers’ land-holdings and hives, productivity levels, and evidence of honey grading, transport, and the taxation of beekeepers may suggest honey production as a larger scale industry than previously thought. A snapshot of the archaeological site of Abydos and excavated honey pots may also indicate the extent of state level production facilities and the industrial scale of honey gathering, storage, and use.”