While researching various bushcraft and survival topics, I constantly encounter inconsistencies and errors on reputable websites. Therefore, I have gotten into the habit of checking many postulates myself. One of these statements is that Prometheus brought fire to Earth with the Giant Fennel pith, and I wanted to find out if that could be true. The Prometheus legend This website summarizes the Prometheus legend in a very concentrated manner as follows: ‘… Losing fire was a devastating event to humanity. No longer able to cook or warm themselves, men, women, and children lived out lives of misery in a cold…

Various internet pages and YouTube channels describe lighting fire with stalks of giant fennel (Ferula communis) as easy. I doubted these claims, so I tested them myself. The outcome was sobering, which I will describe in the following article. I also checked the possibility of using them to transport fire. Lighting fire with a Fire rod Fire rods are one of those gadgets modern survivalists think they need for their back-to-nature experience. Except they overlook that when unexpectedly stranded in nature, there is no shop to buy such rods when required. Nevertheless, I tested the effect of fire rod sparks…

Giant Fennel (Ferula communis) is a common weed in Mediterranean countries and Central Asia. Except for one genetic variety in Sardina, all green parts of the plant are strongly haemotoxic and lead to the poisoning of livestock and humans. This hemorrhagic syndrome is known as Ferulosis. The dry, wooden stalk is used for various implements and supposedly for transporting fire. This, however, could not be proven. The following article focuses on using the dry, wooden stalk as a building material.   Description and distribution of Giant Fennel When young in spring, Ferula communis looks exactly like Wild Fennel. The only…

Wild asparagus, a unique culinary delight, is prominent in Sicily’s springtime cuisine. The region boasts two distinct species: Asparagus albus, White asparagus, and Asparagus acutifolius, affectionately dubbed ‘Wild asparagus’ in English. Another edible part of these plants is its ‘crown’ of roots, which is seldom eaten. Therefore, we will concentrate this article on the young spears of these two asparagus species. Distribution and description Asparagus acutifolius This species is distributed throughout the arid and rocky areas of the Mediterranean region. It typically occurs in maquis/macchia and garrigue shrubland biomes and avoids sandy areas, like parts of the northern coast of…

Stone huts on the northern side of Mount Etna in Sicily were built at least since pre-Hellenic times, around 4,000 BC. The building materials were basalt blocks from eroded lava at this location. The builders used dry-stone wall construction without mortar. The pseudo-domed roof for the upper layers was an elaborate design, which would not have withstood earthquakes or stronger volcanic trembles. These stone huts were still in use until the 1930s and nearly all of them are abandoned now. Locations of stone huts The climate around the Mediterranean Sea is mostly hot and dry. Vegetation at the shores is…

Vongole clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) are the main bivalve species collected from the flat beaches of the Adriatic Sea in Northern Italy. Introduced to aquaculture facilities in the lagoon of Venice in 1983, they are now considered an invasive species, having often replaced the endemic clam Ruditapes decussate. However, despite being invasive, 95% of all Italian clam production comes from these lagoons, and 90% of the entire European harvest of clams is also sourced from there. What is the correct name for vongole clams? Due to their widespread distribution from cool to semi-tropical and tropical habitats in Asia, Europe, and the Americas,…

The Honey locust tree, also known as the Thorny locust, derives its genus name (Gleditsia) from a former director of the Botanical Garden in Berlin. Its species name (G. triacanthos) means ‘Three thorns’, which refers to the typical arrangement of its young thorns. Although the thorns may appear as spines at first glance, upon closer inspection, they are real thorns, as seen in the picture below. These trees are native to the central plains of the United States but have been introduced worldwide in well-watered, temperate climates. They have now become an invasive species outside their native range. Honey locust…