Iberian apiculture

In the Iberian settlements between the Palància and Jucar rivers archaeologists have documented beekeeping on clay hives. Some of them are shown here. They are ceramic tubes with wide mouths and fluted interior surfaces to facilitate the distribution of hives. Hives are stacked horizontally as shown by current examples of similar hives in Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan and others used until recently in Mallorca and Andalucia. The obtained honey would be used as a diet complement and as a sweetener in a time when sugar was not available, in addition to being a valuable exchange product.