bees, beeswax & gold

[Molly Bassett]

Hi, all.

I'm following a minor dissertation detail that arises in my discussion  
of teocuitlatl (gold) and gold-casting.

The gold-casting method described in the General History's Book 9: The  
Merchants involves beeswax (xicohcuitlatl), and although two genera of  
stingless bees are indigenous to Mesoamerica (Melipona and Trigona),  
the xicomeh (bees) described in Earthly Things sting:  “It is round,  
small and round, yellow-legged, winged.  It is a flyer, a buzzer, a  
sucker, a maker of hives, an earth excavator, a honey producer, a  
stinger (teminani)” (Book 11:93-94).

European bees were introduced into New Spain as early as 1520-1530 -  
long before the General History was compiled.  While beeswax would  
have been available to precontact artisans, the General History’s  
description may conflate pre- and postcontact gold-casting, as it does  
xicomeh (bees). [I'm relying on Donald D. Brand, "The Honey Bee in New  
Spain and Mexico," Journal of Cultural Geography 9, no. 1 (1988):  
71-82 for information about bees.]

Does anyone know of other descriptions of gold-casting that might  
confirm or dispute the use of beeswax?

Thanks!
Molly


Molly Bassett
Ph.D. Candidate, Religious Studies
University of California, Santa Barbara




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