Beekeeping in the Cyclades

Beekeeping has always occupied a central place in the life of the Cyclades. As modern research shows, beekeeping already existed at a fairly high level since prehistoric times.  Archaeological finds from the end of the 5th century BC testify to the existence of clay hives in the archipelago. Besides clay, in Syros, Tinos, Kythnos, Paros and Antiparos, bee hives made of stone slabs were also used.

A very important work for the recording and preservation of traditional beekeeping techniques was the ‘ A COMPLETE TREATISE ON BEEKEEPING by the Levantine Abba Della Rocca. ^[1]Della Rocca lived for seventeen years in the Archipelago and for a long time he was a vicar in Syros. He had a vocation for agricultural work and especially beekeeping.  In France, as he writes in his preface, he studied French and German textbooks and ancient and modern encyclopedias (editions 1747, 1761, 1783). Finally, he notes that “in Syros we have a preferable method [of beekeeping] different from those proposed by the authors, which are either impracticable, or not understood and applied in the wrong way… my inclination towards bee-keeping, my love of truth and my zeal for the appreciative public lead me to write this work” .

Here is the book in PDF format:

COMPLETE TREATISE ON BEEKEEPING

BY ABVA DELA ROCCA, GENERAL VICAR OF SYRIA PARIS 1790

http://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/structure/4009029

http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/36423#/summary

 Translated by Marina Konstantopoulou

A study by Professor Paschalis Harizanis of the Agricultural University of Athens and his collaborators Papa Evangelos and Antonopoulos Athanasios on the identification and treatment of beekeeping problems on the Cycladic islands.

Relevant videos:

Source:

Μελισσοκομία στο Αιγαίο Εργαστήριο Βιογεωγραφίας και Οικολογίας
^[1]TRAVELOGUES