Researchers from Cranfield University and the British Museum have uncovered what is believed to be the earliest wine-drinking trace in the Americas, discovered on a small Caribbean island. The discovery expands our understanding of early European activity in the region and the complex interactions between Europe and Indigenous communities during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The team reported their findings after careful analysis of material remains associated with 40 pottery fragments dated to the 15th century, located on Isla de Mona, a tiny island situated between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Isla de Mona, a place steeped in historical note since the time of Christopher Columbus, provided a unique snapshot of material culture from a moment when transatlantic contact was intensifying. The researchers focused on residues embedded within the interior surfaces of a jug that had previously functioned as a container for a range of goods transported aboard Spanish ships. The chemical signals detected inside the vessel point to the presence of wine, a discovery that has led scientists to suggest that Europeans who visited the Americas may have introduced wine consumption to the island and its inhabitants. The residue itself appears to date from the period between roughly 1490 and 1520, a window that encompasses several pivotal years of early colonial contact.
The project’s broader context addresses not only the intake of wine but also the ongoing culinary practices of the Indigenous and repeatedly encountered populations in the Caribbean. The site preserves echoes of a cooking tradition that persisted even amid major upheaval and the upheaval of colonial engagement. In this region, large land mammals are scarce, which shaped local foodways in distinctive ways. Researchers propose that the island’s inhabitants likely grilled a sizeable rodent-like animal known locally as the hutie, along with iguanas and fish, as staple proteins in their diet. The evidence suggests a tangible continuity of fire-based cooking techniques despite profound external changes in governance and population dynamics over subsequent centuries.
In analyzing the assemblage, scholars observed a striking pattern: there is a rich assemblage of fish and meat bones recovered from the island, yet these remains are not entirely aligned with the cooking vessels found there. This discrepancy hints at a nuanced culinary landscape in which seafood and meat formed a steady baseline of nourishment while traditional cooking utensils and methods continued to shape how meals were prepared and served. The interpretation is that local cooks maintained a robust repertoire for preparing vegetables alongside animal proteins in ceramic pots, suggesting a culinary exchange that blended European tastes with Indigenous techniques and ingredients. This convergence marks an interesting chapter in the broader story of cross-cultural interaction on Isla de Mona, illustrating how foodways can illuminate historical contact and exchange beyond the written record.
The discovery invites a richer discussion about the ways in which traditional food practices and imported commodities intersected during a period of rapid Atlantic contact. The wine residues indicate that not only did European goods arrive on the island, but they also entered everyday nourishment customs in a way that could have influenced local diets and social practices surrounding meals and drink. This kind of evidence helps fill gaps in the earliest accounts of culinary exchange, offering tangible material traces that connect imported luxury items with the ordinary routines of island life. The research underscores the value of chemical residue analysis in archaeology, a method that can reveal what people drank and ate long before textual records described those choices in detail.
Taken together, the findings from Isla de Mona contribute to a more nuanced appreciation of the early modern Caribbean. They emphasize that exchanges across the Atlantic were not solely about trade routes or political power but also about the daily rituals of eating and drinking. The presence of wine alongside locally sourced foods points to a shared, evolving culinary landscape in which Indigenous communities and European visitors influenced each other in meaningful ways. The study thus adds a compelling dimension to the broader narrative of cultural interaction in the region, inviting future investigations into how food and drink helped shape social connections, identities, and memories in the age of exploration.