Ancient cave paintings suggest that honey has been gathered from bees by humans since prehistoric times. Honey bees can now be found all over the world except the extreme polar regions. Our collections reflect the wide range of countries where research into bees has taken place.

Anatomie et physiologie de l'abeille was written by Michał Girdwoyń, a Polish beekeeper and ichthyologist, and was published in Paris in 1876. Girdwoyń originally trained as an engineer but later studied agriculture and life sciences and wrote a number of books on bees and fish.

The Dutch entomologist Johannes Goedaert (1617-1668) was one of the earliest authors on entomology and the first to write about the insects of the Netherlands. His books were also the first to depict insects using the technique of engraving after his drawings.

The title page of this beekeeping manual, published in Amsterdam in 1670, shows a man 'tanging' a swarm of bees by banging on a pan, the rhythmical sound helping to coax the swarm into the overturned hive. The engraving was by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout, a pupil of Rembrandt.

This late nineteenth-century Norwegian publication also features an image depicting the 'tanging' of bees. The frontispiece engraving shows a woman banging a pan while a man holds an upturned hive on a pitch fork as they try and coax the swarming bees in the tree into the hive.

This work on the history of insects according to the Linnaean system by the Swiss physician and entomologist, Johann Heinrich Sulzer (1735 -1813) is exceptional for the high quality of its many hand-coloured plates. It was published in Winterthur in Switzerland in 1776.

John Jonston (1603–1675) was a Polish scholar and physician, descended from Scottish nobility, and the author of a number of books on zoology and natural history. This work was illustrated by the Swiss engraver, Matthäus Merian, who illustrated many of Jonston's other books.

Clerici’s atlas contains thirty chromolithographic plates. His studies are based on the microscopic drawings of Count Gaetano Barbò (1840-1919), who co-authored with Luigi Sartori, the first Italian manual of apiculture in 1878. This plate shows the proboscis of a bee.

The Cowan Bee Collection contains texts in a wide range of European languages, including both works in their original version and in translation. German and French feature prominently, but also Dutch, Romanian, Russian, with some Serbian and Bulgarian works, as in this example.

Lorenzo L. Langstroth is regarded as the father of American beekeeping. In 1851 he created his movable-frame hive, with hanging frames, in which the bees construct honey-filled combs, which can be easily removed by the beekeeper. This became the model for the modern beehive.

The Colosseum, or the Amphitheatrum Flavium to any ancient Romans in the audience. This arena was built between 72-80CE, on the orders of Emperor Vespasian, to host the most important sports events of the calendar.

Emperors knew that they were safe when the Roman people had enough bread to eat and sport to watch. Amongst their favourites were gladiatorial matches, battle re-enactments, wild and exotic animal hunts, and public executions.

They say 'all roads lead to Rome', but which leads to the Colosseum? Stay on this slide, and point & click to explore the streets and find the Colosseum.

Here it is, how did we ever lose it? It might be looking a little shabby today, but that's what 2000 years of history tend to do to you. Let's take a look inside, you did bring the tickets didn't you?

Imagine stepping into this arena, 80,000 people cheering and chanting your name, underneath the floors are networks of tunnels and lifts to carry up beasts and men to the battlefield, and you await your fate.

Excuse me, did you say we're in the vomitorium? Yes! The Romans didn't actually like to throw up after meals, but they did use vomitoria. The word means 'a passageway that can be emptied quickly', like an emergency exit. So you can see where the confusion arose...

Sewu Temple is an eighth century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Indonesia and served as the royal temple of the Medang Mataram kingdom. The temples of the Sewu complex are arranged in a mandala layout, which is designed to represent the universe.

The curved mound of the Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in Madhya Pradesh, India, dating to the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE. The brick and stone mound was built to protect and revere relics of the Buddha.

Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple found in Central Java, Indonesia, and also the world's largest Buddhist temple. The design of the temple shows a blending of indigenous beliefs, Buddhist concepts of Nirvana, and art of the Indian Gupta Empire.

Found in Maharashtra, India, these caves feature numerous carvings of notable Buddhist deities of the tantra tradition and several deities shared with Hinduism, such as Durga and Ganesha.

These ancient hand-cut caves offer a view over the picturesque Guntupalli Hills. There are a number of chambers for worship, and a chaitya, or prayer, hall. Take a walk up the hill to see more.

Above the caves, at the top of the hill, are the Guntupalli Monuments, comprising a large group of stupas. During excavations, three relic caskets were found that contained many precious elements like gold, silver, and crystal beads.

The Stupa of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh, India, has long been recognised as an important artistic site. Historians regard the art of Amaravati as one of the three major styles or schools of ancient Indian art, the other two being the Mathura style, and the Gandharan style.

Cut into the cliff face of the Vindhya mountains of Madhya Pradesh, India, these Buddhist dwellings have been a site of pilgrimage since the 5th Century. The five surviving caves are richly decorated with beautiful wall paintings.

Lalitagiri Buddhist Complex in Odisha, India, is an important site of stupas, statues of the Buddha, and viharas (monasteries). Excavations of the ruined monasteries have revealed relics of the Buddha.

A historic town in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The site was once the location of many Buddhist universities and monasteries, attracting students from as far as China, Gandhara, Bengal, and Sri Lanka.

Found in Gujarat, India, these underground dwellings of Buddhist monks were carved by hand and include an assembly hall and cells for meditation. The columns in the lowest floor of the cave are thought to have been inspired by Ancient Greek designs.