Eva Crane
Rachel Cook

Background

• Born Ethel Eva Widdowson
• Birth: June 12, 1912
• Death: September 6, 2007
• Born in South London, England

Education

• Only woman studying physics at King's College at the time
• Received a BSc in mathematics and an MSc in quantum mechanics

Introduction to bees

• When she married James Crane in 1942, they received a hive of bees as a wedding gift.
• She then joined her local branch of the British Beekeepers' Association
• When the Bee Research Association was founded in 1949, Eva became the director.
• Conducted work in London, England, but also traveled to places like Vietnam and the upper Indus Valley.

Books

• Honey- A Comprehensive Survey (1975)
• A Book of Honey (1980)
• The Archaeology of Bee-keeping (1983)
• Bees and Bee-Keeping: Science, Practice, and World Resources (1990)
• The World History of Bee-Keeping and Honey Hunting (1999)
• Making a Beeline (2003)
• Wrote over 180 papers, articles, and books in her life when she was in her 70s-80s

Discoveries and Accomplishments

• Ancient Babylonians used honey to preserve dead bodies
• Bees were used as military weapons by the Viet Cogs
• Turned the study of bees into a scientific subject
• Founded Eva Crane Trust and Eva Crane Library

Self-reflection