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__NOTOC__[[File: Honey-main.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|Honey]]Honey is probably one of the most ancient sweeteners known to us and used by humans. Additionally, it was probably perhaps consumed not only by us <i>Homo sapiens sapiens</i> humans but also Neanderthals (<i>Homo sapiens neanderthalensis</i>). In fact, very honey likely honey played a role in the evolution of the human desire and taste for sweet food products. Honey has played an important essential role not only in food consumption but also in and medicine and even embalming in burial. Its prevalence in the New and Old Worlds have also made it widespread in use even in early prehistoric periods.

The earliest evidence for the use of honey comes from Spain (Figure 1), at about 8-9,0000 years ago. At about 5500 years ago, honey was found in burials in Georgia, suggesting they were used as gifts in the afterlife. However, very likely the use of honey goes back much further. Neanderthals probably used honey as a food they gathered and even our nearest relatives in the ape family are known to utilize honey. Scientists estimate that the evolution for sweet tastes developed in our ancestors at about 15 million years, long before even apes arose. It is postulated that honey could have been a key factor in the evolution or desire for sweet foods that we have now inherited. The main reason is foods with fructose , where honey contains many monosaccharides, can be vital in periods when starvation is prevalent. It has high amounts of energy relative to the amount that one needs to consume to survive. In fact, the The association of honey as a food for fending off starvation has come down to use in stories in the Bible (e.g., such as John the Baptist eating honey and locusts) and Buddha retreating in the wilderness, where he ate honey brought by a monkey.<ref>For more on the earliest history of honey, see: Crane, E. (1999). <i>The world history of beekeeping and honey hunting.</i> New York: Routledge.</ref>

==Use in Historical Periods==[[File:Cueva arana.jpeg3jpeg|thumbnail|225px|left|Figure 1. One of the earliest depictions of honey collection from a cave in Spain.]]In the 3rd millennium BCE, both ancient Mesopotamia, Sumer or modern southern Iraq, and Egypt show evidence of beekeeping having developed. Honey, at this point, was used as an offering for the worship of gods and food consumption. Beeswax was also utilized for making lost wax products such as metals, candles, sealings, and even as a dental filling. The importance of beeswax and honey led to the development of beekeeping as a vital profession already by the third millennium BCE. Beehives were kept in temples as well as by private beekeepers, who traded honey and beeswax. The Egyptians were known to make clay pots for hives, suggesting that artificial hives were now made by the 3rd millennium BCE.  The creation of hives also included mud and twigs placed together to replicate more natural-looking beehives. The Hittite law codes mention fines given to those who would steal from beehives, indicating the importance that beehives had to the economy not only for food but also for wax.<ref>For more on early historical texts referencing honey and beekeeping, see Crane (1999) and: Kritsky, G. (2015). <i>The Tears of Re: Beekeeping in Ancient Egypt.</i> New York, NY: Oxford University Press.</ref> Egyptian sources also indicate the Levant as a land of honey. The Egyptian hero Sinuhe indicates that beehives were being kept in the Levant in the 3rd millennium BCE. This depiction of the Levant as a "land of honey" may have later influenced references to the region in the Bible as a "land of milk and honey." Both in Egyptian and Biblical references to honey lands that can grow honey are referenced as prosperous. In war campaigns in the region by the Egyptians, they mention taking honey as tribute, indicating the importance of honey as a food product and, in Egypt, as something used in the embalming process in burials. This is also true in other cultures that embalmed, such as in ancient Georgia. Honey was also sacrificed to the gods in death, where honey jars have been found in Egyptian tombs.<ref>For more on the significance of honey to ancient Near Eastern societies, see: Dalby, A. (2003). <i>Food in the ancient world, from A to Z.</i> London ; New York: Routledge, pg. 179.</ref>

==Use in Historical Periods==In India, the 3rd millennium BCE, both ancient Mesopotamia, in Sumer or modern southern Iraq, Vedas mention honey as a spiritual product and Egypt show evidence of beekeeping having developedreference to its healing potential. Honey, at this point, was used Marriage ceremonies were often symbolized with honey as an offering for a way to ward evil from the worship of gods and for food consumptionmarriage. Beeswax The term "madhu" was also utilized used for making lost wax products such as metals, candles, sealings, and even as dental filling. The importance of beeswax honey and likely influenced the much later Anglo-Saxon term "medu" for honey, in factwhich today has become the term mead, led to an alcoholic drink that uses honey. Chinese texts from the development of 1st millennium BCE record beekeeping as also an important profession already by the third millennium BCE. Beehives were kept activity in temples as well as by private beekeepers, who traded honey and beeswaxancient China. The Egyptians were known to make clay pots or hivesIn ancient Greece, suggesting by the 3rd millennium BCE artificial hives bees were now made. The Hittite law codes mention fines given also vital for providing honey that was consumed to those who would steel from beehives, indicating the importance that beehives had sweeten food and used as offerings to the economy not only for food but also for waxgods.

Egyptian sources also indicate In the Levant as a land of honey. The Egyptian hero Sinuhe indicates that beehives New World, stingless honeybees were being kept in , where the Levant Maya cultivated honey for use in the 3rd millennium BCE. This depiction of the Levant as a "land of honey" may have later influenced references alcoholic drinks (similar to the region in the Bible as a "land of milk mead) and honeyfood." Both in Bees were treated as pets for the Egyptian Maya and Biblical references to honey denote prosperity in referencing honey. In war campaigns in kept around the region by the Egyptianshouse, likely because they did not sting, although they mention taking honey as tributecould still bite. We know from various ancient cultures, indicating the importance of honey as a food product but alsohas been used to treat stomach ailments, in Egyptulcers, as something used in the embalming processand various skin burns and wounds. This is also true <ref>For more on reference in other cultures that embalmedvarious ancient societies to beekeeping and records of use for honey, such as in Georgiasee: de Ruig, which also used honey as part Ann. 2012. <i>The History of Man's Use of the embalming process for the deadHoney. In fact</i>Bloomington, honey jars have been found in Egyptian tombsIndiana.</ref>

In Indiathe Roman period, the Vedas mention honey as keeping was a spiritual product and reference its potential for healing. Marriage ceremonies were often symbolized with honey as a way to ward evil from mass industry spread throughout Europe, the marriage. The term "madhu" was used for honey Middle East, and likely influenced the much later Anglo-Saxon term "medu" for honey, which today has become mead, an alcoholic drink that uses honeyAfrica. Chinese texts from the 1st millennium BCE record Pliny mentions beekeeping as also an important activity in ancient China. In ancient Greecevarious parts of the empire, bees were also vital for providing honey that was not only consumed to sweeten food but also and artificial large slabs would be used as offerings to collect the gods. In the New World, stingless honeybees were kepthoney made by bees, where the Maya cultivated honey for use in alcoholic drinks (similar was then applied to mead) as well as a variety of food. In factproducts, bees for the Maya were treat such as pets and kept around the housecakes, likely because they did not sting, although they could still bitemainly as a sweetener. We know from various ancient cultures, <ref>For more on the industry of honey has been used to treat stomach ailments, ulcersin the Roman period, and various skin burns and wounds.see: Carne 2009: 208</ref>

In the Medieval periodmedieval and early modern periods (Figure 2), honey continued to be cultivated for its healing and medicinal use as well as for sweetening food. Wax was just as important to Medieval Europe as honey collection, where candles were mostly made. This made beekeeping a very an important profession that allowed beekeepers and owners to develop substantial wealth relative to other professions. Wax was also used for seals and sealing documents, particularly official documents relaying important church business or royal edicts.<ref>For more on Medieval production of honey, see: Adamson, M. W. (2004). Food in medieval times. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, pg. 27.</ref>

In The taste of honey can be refined based on the types of flowers bees use. Australia probably has some of the 19th and 20th century, artificial most unique honey and new forms in the world due to the continent having many types of beehives were created flowers that are unique to make production more suitable for mass marketsit. While artificial hives have been known since the 3rd millennium BCEArtificial honey has also become well established, modern frame hives found which was already occurring in beehives kept by modern beekeepers were invented in 1814. The idea ancient periods where flour was often added to make it easier create a form of artificial honey. This has led to separate bees from a variety of grades and quality standards being created today by different countries. In the hives to more easily collect honey.PreviouslyUnited States, smoke was grades A-C are used to drive bees away and then break artificial or natural hives, where reflect the quality of honey was then collectedproducts. Eventually in 1852Floral sources of honey are also used for classification, the Langstroth hive was invented, which has now become the modern way in which most natural including how many different flowers bees use to create honey is collected. This innovation made us After a period of decline in honey consumption in the so-called "bee spacemid 20th century," which was observed distance between each comb that was large enough to keep like sugar and artificial sweeteners increasingly replaced honey as a comb from sticking together. Such innovations also made beekeeping less destructivesweetener, honey has more recently reemerged as many other methods often destroyed not only the hive but killed many a product of greater interest and desire by consumers.<ref>For more on the bees, often making the process quality of honey production unsustainable for beekeepers, see: Thacker, Emily. 2014. <i>The Honey Book</i>. James Direct, Incorporated. Hartville, Ohio.</ref>

The taste of honey can be refined based on the types of flowers bees used. Australia probably has some of the most unique honey in the world due to the continent having many types of flowers that are unique to it. Artificial honey has also become well establishedHowever, which was already occurring despite renewed consumer interest in ancient periods where flour was often added to create a form of artificial honey. This has led to a variety of grades and quality standards being created today by different countries. In the United States, grades A-C are used to reflect the quality of honey products. Floral sources of honey are also used for classification, including how many different flowers bees used to create honey. After a period of decline in honey consumption in the 20th century, as sugar increasingly replaced honey as a sweetener, honey has more recently reemerged as a product of greater interest and desire by consumers. Honey has once again reemerged as a news item as honeybees have begun to decline in various parts of the world, where the . The scientific community does not have one clear answer for this decline. Possible reasons include pesticides and other chemicals killing honeybees or diminishing the number of offspring produced. While this decline threatens modern agriculture, it has also affected the natural production of honey, where the price of honey has rapidly increased over the last decade.<ref>For more on recent events surrounding the honeybee, see: Sammataro, D., & Yoder, J. (Eds.). (2012). <i>Honey Bee Colony Health: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions.</i> Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.</ref>

Honey is perhaps one of our oldest continuously used known food items that likely has its origin long before the rise of modern humans. The evolution of honey has even led to our development for of sweet tastes that are today often satisfied by sugar or artificial sweetenerstoday. Honey production was also nearly universal, even in the ancient world, where New and Old World varieties saw a different cultivation method of cultivation, including the development of artificial beehives. Honey keeping, relative to other food products, changed very little until about the mid 19th century, when artificial beehives developed into their more modern form that allowed the preservation of bees and easier harvesting of honey. Today, the rise of artificial honey has created greater more exacting standards of what constitutes as real honey. After a period of decline when sugar replaced honey in many countries as a sweetener for products that were once sweetened by honey, such as cakes, more modern consumers are valuing honey for its perceived health and food value, leading to a reemergence of honey production worldwide. However, with the recent decline of the honeybee in many countries, this food item is now under renewed threat. <div class="portal" style="width:35%;">==Related DailyHistory.org Articles==*[[How Did Ancient Societies Adapt to Dairy Consumption?]]*[[What Is the Historical Development of Bread?]]*[[How Did Black Pepper Spread in Popularity?]]*[[What Factors Led to the Creation of the First Cities?]]*[[How Did Chocolate Become Popular?]]</div>