Portuguese and Italian scientists, with Spanish participation, uncovered hundreds of bees mummified inside their cocoons. These remarkable packages date back nearly three thousand years and were found at a new paleontological site along Portugal’s Odemira coast.
Around 2,975 years ago, rulers such as Pharaoh Siamon in Lower Egypt and the Zhou in China were shaping history, while in what is now Portugal, Bronze Age communities were advancing. Yet along the southwest coast near Odemira, a striking discovery emerged: hundreds of bees preserved in their cocoons, offering an extraordinary glimpse into past life and ecological conditions.
The cocoons result from an unusual fossilization process. Normally chitin, the organic material that makes up insect skeletons, breaks down quickly. In this case, the preservation is so complete that anatomical details, including the sex of the bee and traces of pollen, remain intact.
The specimen shown here is representative of a bee from the genus Eucera. The discovery was documented by researchers, including the coordinator of Naturtejo Geopark and a scientist from the University of Lisbon, who noted that the preservation is so fine that every tiny feature can be studied. The findings appear in a major scientific journal, including reports from paleontology experts around Europe.
like a sealed sarcophagus
The cocoons, dating to roughly 3,000 years ago, keep the young bees hidden as if inside a sarcophagus. Today, Eucera remains one of roughly 700 bee species native to mainland Portugal. The newly uncovered field reveals cocoons coated with a complex organic thread produced by the mother, sometimes containing pollen traces used to feed larvae in early life.
Microcomputed tomography has produced perfect three‑dimensional images of the mummified bees inside sealed cocoons, allowing scientists to study internal structures without damaging the specimens.
Currently, more than 20,000 bee species are known worldwide. Bees play a crucial role as pollinators for global food resources, yet their populations have declined due to climate change and human activities. Understanding why these bees died and mummified nearly three millennia ago can inform current resilience strategies in the face of climate change.
The climate of the southwest coast around that time is thought to have been colder and wetter in winter than today. A noted drop in nighttime temperatures at the end of winter or extended flooding could have caused cold or suffocation mortality, leading to the mummification of hundreds of these tiny bees.
This discovery arose from an international collaboration involving researchers from the Instituto Dom Luiz—Ciencias ULisboa, the University of Genoa, the University of Coimbra, the Tomar Polytechnic Institute, the Portuguese Center for Geohistory and Prehistory, the Abdus Salam Research Center for Theoretical Physics, the University of Siena, the University of Venice, and the University of Seville. The work reflects a broader effort to map ancient nests and hives attributed to the bee family, and to understand fossilization processes in a way rarely seen in paleontology.
Reference work: the study appears in a leading paleontology journal, with detailed analyses and data from multiple sites near Vila Nova de Milfontes and Odeceixe on the Odemira coast, a region that supported the fieldwork and carbon dating efforts.
In the words of researchers, the record shows that fossilization of bee nests and hives of this age is exceptionally rare, making the current discoveries all the more significant for understanding ancient ecosystems. The study emphasizes that a sharp change in climate could have driven mass mortality events that left behind these remarkable mummified remains.
These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge about ancient pollinators and their environments, highlighting how modern technology can reveal hidden details from the distant past. The research underscores the importance of preserving biodiversity and studying ecological history to anticipate how present-day pollinators might respond to ongoing climate shifts.
The work was conducted as part of a cross-border collaboration that brought together institutions across Portugal, Italy, and Spain. Ongoing investigations continue to explore similar fossil deposits along the Atlantic coast, aiming to better understand the ancient conditions that shaped the lives of these bees and their ecosystems. These efforts are reported in peer-reviewed scientific literature with comprehensive supplementary materials for scholars and students alike.
Note: the study and its conclusions have been published in reputable journals, and summaries emphasize the importance of paleontological methods and ecological interpretation for readers seeking to understand ancient life and its relevance to today. (Nature reports provide additional context on the significance of such findings.)