[From nobody Mon Jul 18 15:50:39 2011
Message-ID: <339B7A66.420A@mindspring.com>
Date: Sun, 08 Jun 1997 23:37:10 -0400
From: Marc Shapiro <mn.shapiro1@mindspring.com>
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To: Phil & Carol Reed <pcr@ic.net>
Subject: Re: hist-brewing: Strength of early medieval mead?
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Phil & Carol Reed wrote:
> 
> To the historical fermenters, greetings!

    <SNIP>

> I'm interested in reactions to this hypothesis. Anybody got any
> input for or against it?
> 
> To support or dismiss this thesis would require information on the
> amount of honey produced per year in a certain region. The only
> place I can think of to get this kind of information would be medieval
> tax records. Does anybody have any ideas on how to proceed to
> get access to this kind of info?
> 
> phil reed

Phil --

Here's a book you may want to look at:  The Archaeology of Beekeeping,
by Eva Crane.  It's hard to find -- amazon.com doesn't carry it, and I
got my copy (years ago) in a bookstore across the street from the
British Museum that sold reviewer's copies and remainders.

Dr. Crane was the director of IBRA, the International Bee Research
Assoc., for 35 years.  One item that will be of interest in considering
the harvest-size question: most surviving early bee-yards and equipment
shows that multiple hives were the rule, especially in Britain.  In
other words, even if a single hive only produced 20-40 lbs. of honey, a
beekeeper with 8 or 10 hives would still be able to make a fair amount
of mead!  

If I have time later, I'd be glad to check specifics for a few
countries/centuries.  Random observations from a few tables: in 1593,
the recommended size for a single skep (straw beehive) was over 18
liters capacity.  1593 was the year "A treatise concerning the right use
and ordering of bees" was published; it recommended no more than 40
hives on a quarter-acre of land.  That's a lot of honey production!

If you'd like to e-mail me off list, and give me an idea of where you're
located, I can find out what library near you has this book.  

HTH!

Robin  (on my husband's account)
-- 
Marc Shapiro                                 mn.shapiro1@mindspring.com

                       Visit 'The Meadery' at:
           http://www.mindspring.com/~mn.shapiro1/index.html     
           http://www.geocities.com/Paris/1265/index.html

"If you drink melomel every day, you will live to be 150 years old,
unless your wife shoots you."
--Dr. Ferenc Androczi, Winemaker of the Little Hungary Winery

"Hey!  Our Certified Beekeeper certificates are here!  Now all we need
is some bees!

]