Archaeologists have found the jugs in an underground sanctuary discovered in the ruins of ancient Paestum, located in southern Italy.
Luciana da Costa CarvalhoSome samples of honey found by archaeologists in bronze jars discovered in Paestum.
Although archaeologists suspected it was honey, they were unable to confirm it. Three different teams of researchers studied the substance over 30 years, and none were able to positively identify the contents of the jars. The researchers ultimately concluded that it was “animal or vegetable fat contaminated with pollen and insect particles.”
However, a new study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society took a closer look at the substance. Using modern techniques such as protein mass spectrometry and small molecule compositional analysis, the researchers were able to obtain new data about the substance. As a result, they were able to determine that it has “an almost identical chemical fingerprint to modern beeswax and is similar to modern honey.”
In other words, the researchers' initial assumptions were correct. The substance left in the 6th-century BC sanctuary was indeed honey. This makes sense, since honey played a significant role in various rituals in the ancient world.
The Important Role of Honey in the Ancient Greek World
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