Bees in the Medieval Mediterranean: Economic, environmental and cultural perspectives

Bees and bee products were of tremendous cultural significance in the later Middle Ages. Wax was necessary for many aspects of Christian religious devotion, while honey held a particular importance in medieval Islam. In this session we will examine how these cultural preferences drove a lucrative and farreaching trade in beeswax, combining the products of domestic apiculture and largescale imports to support increasingly costly and spectacular forms of Christian devotion, demonstrating interconnections of economy, environment and culture in the premodern world. The speakers are: Dr Alexandra Sapoznik (King s College London) and Lluis Sales Fava (Bee Project) (IEMUniversidade Nova de Lisboa). The session is chaired by Dr Roser Salicrú. This webinar was recorded on 17 may 2022 For more information: Upcoming events: Facebook: Twitter: WoolfInstitute LinkedIn: Instagram: