For centuries, Maya populations living in the jungles of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula harvested honey that served as the backbone of much of their trade, medicine, and religious rituals.

For centuries, Maya populations living in the jungles of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula harvested honey that served as the backbone of much of their trade, medicine, and religious rituals.

Starting as far back as 3,000 years ago, the Maya began keeping a specific variety of bee known as Melipona beecheii that has no stinger and produces a unique honey with a thin texture and a citrusy flavor. The Maya used this "liquid gold" to treat everything from respiratory conditions to digestive issues and even used it as a kind of currency to barter for all manner of goods.

Now, workers preparing for railway construction in the Yucatán have discovered centuries-old Maya beekeeping equipment once used to harvest their sacred honey. While excavating in the Quintana Roo region, archaeologists unearthed three limestone lids known as panuchos, each measuring about 8 by 10 inches, that were used to plug the hollowed-out logs that housed the bees.