Researchers in China have made a significant discovery in the field of archaeology, uncovering a large bottle containing an ancient alcoholic drink buried for over 2,200 years. The bronze vessel was found sealed in a Qin tomb at the Shanjiabao cemetery in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
According to Ruru Chen, a researcher at Northwest University's School of Cultural Heritage in Xi'an, China, the team was surprised to find that the bottle contained nearly a gallon of preserved liquid. Unlike other recent discoveries where only residue from ancient drinks was found, this bottle contained an impressive 3,740 milliliters of intact liquid.
The researchers were able to analyze the contents and determined that it was an ancient cereal-based alcoholic beverage, similar to beer. The team used various methods, including organic chemistry and metabolomics, to identify the type of beverage and how it was brewed.
The discovery is significant not only because of its age but also due to the large volume of preserved liquid found. Chen stated that such a good level of preservation is extremely rare, especially considering the sample dates back to the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). The researchers are still trying to determine why the liquid survived so well for two millennia.
The findings were published in the June issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. This discovery follows a similar recent finding in northwestern China, where evidence of ancient fermented beverages was uncovered at a Bronze Age cemetery.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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