Researchers Crack Open ‘Garlic-Shaped Bottle’ Hiding Rare Surprise from 2,200 Years Ago
Researchers in China recently uncovered a very unusual find: a large bottle containing an alcoholic drink buried for more than 2,200 years.
The ancient alcohol was found sealed in a bronze vessel in a Qin tomb at the Shanjiabao cemetery in China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The findings were published in the June issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
The tomb dates to the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.), a turbulent era of rival kingdoms before China’s first unification.
The preserved liquid was determined to be an ancient cereal-based alcoholic beverage, a fermented grain drink sometimes loosely described as “beer.”
Unlike other recent discoveries in which archaeologists found only residue from ancient drinks, the bottle contained an impressive 3,740 milliliters, or 3.74 liters, of preserved liquid.
The researchers were surprised when they encountered the liquid, said Ruru Chen, a researcher at Northwest University’s School of Cultural Heritage in Xi’an, China. (Read more from “Researchers Crack Open ‘Garlic-Shaped Bottle’ Hiding Rare Surprise from 2,200 Years Ago” HERE)
