Chinese archaeologists and collaborators from Stanford University unearthed a bronze bottle containing a fermented alcoholic beverage during an excavation of a Qin Dynasty tomb in Shaanxi Province. The drink is estimated to be about 2,300 years old. The findings were published in a scholarly article in the MDPI journal as part of the ongoing research into ancient beverages and funerary practices.
The vessel was discovered within the Yantsun cemetery, a site that spans the late Warring States period into the early Qin dynasty. In one tomb, researchers retrieved eight bronze and clay bottles, and one appeared to be sealed. When opened, the contents were tasted by the team. The liquid was entirely clear and exhibited a metallic flavor that surprised the researchers.
Laboratory analysis confirmed that the sealed vessel contained a fermented beverage used in funeral rites. The drink appears to have been a starter made from legume and millet derivatives, along with wheat, barley, rice, and other ingredients. Traces of mold fungi and yeast were detected, indicating their role in the fermentation of plant materials and the creation of the beverage used in rites for the dead.
Previous studies by researchers have also shed light on Bronze Age mobility and industry, suggesting the existence of itinerant metallurgists who traveled across settlements to share skills and techniques. This broader historical context helps illuminate the interdisciplinary nature of the current work, which combines archaeology, chemistry, and ancient foodways to reconstruct past lifeways.