Ancient Greek jars in Italy found to contain honey

[guy]

 

In 1954, archaeologists discovered bronze jars in an underground shrine dedicated to an unknown deity at the ancient Greek settlement of Paestum in Southern Italy. These jars date back to the sixth century BCE. The jars contained a paste-like residue with a strong aroma.

After initial controversy regarding the nature of the residue, recent research employing modern analysis techniques revealed that the residue was, in fact, honey.

 

🍯 Ancient Honey Offering Identified

• Oxford chemists re-analyzed a mysterious orange-brown residue found in bronze jars at a 6th-century BCE Greek shrine in Paestum, Italy.

• Using advanced mass spectrometry and spectroscopy, they confirmed the substance was honey—likely in the form of honeycomb.

• Previous analyses over 30 years failed to identify it conclusively, mistaking it for animal or vegetable fat.

• The discovery was enabled by a multidisciplinary collaboration between Oxford’s Department of Chemistry, the Ashmolean Museum, and the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.

• Royal jelly proteins and sugar markers were key to confirming the honey origin, with copper ions possibly helping preserve the biomolecules.

• The study highlights the untapped scientific potential of museum collections and encourages re-analysis of legacy materials.

 

 

🧪 Summary of the JACS Article on Ancient Honey Detection at Paestum

Researchers re-examined a 2,500-year-old residue found in bronze jars at a Greek shrine in Paestum, Italy, using a wide range of advanced chemical techniques. Their work identified direct molecular evidence of honey, likely offered as honeycomb, overturning decades of inconclusive analyses.

📌 Key Discoveries:

Advanced Detection Methods: The team integrated TSP-GC/MS, AEC-MS, FTIR, XPS, and proteomics to analyze the chemically complex residue. ***(See below for  description of these studies.)

Nonlipid Biomarkers Identified: Including hexose sugars, saccharide breakdown products, and major royal jelly peptides (MRJPs), which are specific to honeybee secretions.

Preservation Factors: Copper ions from the bronze vessel may have helped protect biomolecules, and elevated acidity suggests degradation of honey and beeswax.

Multilayer Complexity: Surface and core residue differences imply interactions between the material and the vessel, adding a new layer of archaeological interpretation.

📚 Historical Context & Scientific Evolution:

For nearly 70 years, previous assessments (summarized in the study's Table S24) consistently pointed to waxes, fats, or resins, excluding honey as a possibility.

A 1983 GC-MS analysis revealed mostly fatty acids—supporting the idea of animal or vegetable fat—and detected no sugars or glycerol.

These early methods likely lacked the sensitivity and specificity needed to detect trace-level honey markers.

The current study’s use of TSP-GC/MS enabled the detection of a broader range of compounds with higher molecular accuracy, emphasizing the advancement of archaeological science.

🎯 Methodological Insight:

A hypothesis-driven approach, starting with the question “Was this originally honey/honeycomb?” guided the study.

This framework, combined with modern instrumentation, enabled the most chemically and archaeologically grounded conclusion to date.

The authors propose this focused strategy as a model for future investigations of legacy residues in museum collections, many of which have long been considered analytically inaccessible.

 

 

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2025-07-30-oxford-chemists-identify-honey-offering-2500-year-old-shrine

 

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.5c04888

A Symbol of Immortality: Evidence of Honey in Bronze Jars Found in a Paestum Shrine Dating to 530–510 BCE

 

***

 

🧪 1. TSP-GC/MS (Thermal Separation Probe – Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry)

Purpose: Analyzes complex solid, liquid, or slurry samples with minimal preparation.

How it works:

The Thermal Separation Probe (TSP) heats the sample to release volatile compounds.

These compounds are separated by Gas Chromatography (GC) and identified by Mass Spectrometry (MS).

Applications: Food safety, forensic analysis, environmental testing.

🧬 2. AEC-MS (Anion Exchange Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry)

Purpose: Separates and identifies charged biomolecules, especially proteins and peptides.

How it works:

Anion Exchange Chromatography (AEC) separates molecules based on their charge.

Mass Spectrometry (MS) then identifies and quantifies them.

Applications: Protein purification, biomarker discovery, pharmaceutical analysis.

🌈 3. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)

Purpose: Identifies chemical bonds and functional groups in a sample.

How it works:

Infrared light is passed through a sample.

Molecules absorb specific frequencies based on their vibrations.

A Fourier Transform converts the raw data into a readable spectrum.

Applications: Material characterization, polymer analysis, food and drug testing.

🔬 4. XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy)

Purpose: Analyzes surface chemistry and elemental composition.

How it works:

X-rays eject electrons from the surface atoms.

The energy of these electrons reveals the elements and their chemical states.

Applications: Surface coatings, corrosion studies, semiconductor research.

🧫 5. Proteomics

Purpose: Studies the entire set of proteins (proteome) in a cell, tissue, or organism.

How it works:

Proteins are extracted, digested into peptides, and analyzed using Mass Spectrometry.

Techniques include bottom-up, top-down, and label-free approaches.

Applications: Disease research, drug development, personalized medicine.

Edited July 31, 2025 by guy