We've all heard the saying, "Monks invented alcohol or beer," but it seems like our ancestors may have enjoyed a tipple as long as 10,000 years ago.
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Archaeologists have reportedly found evidence of rice beer brewing dating back roughly 10,000 years ago at the Shangshan site in the Zhejiang Province of China. The discovery is significant as it reveals clues about the origin of brewing alcohol in East Asia.
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published the study. There was also worldwide collaboration on the research.
Researchers came from several establishments, including the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG), Stanford University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The researchers focused on 12 pottery sherds obtained at the Shangshan site and found they were likely parts of specific vessels. According to a researcher at the ICRA, people traditionally use these vessels for fermentation and cooking.
Researchers analyzed microscopic particles on the pottery sherds to determine their potential uses and their role in creating alcohol.
Beer May Have Been A Part Of Ceremonial Feasting
According to a report at English.News, the researchers found traces of starch granules in the pottery residue. The starch had degraded in a way that lined up with the fermentation process. Researchers also uncovered fungal elements, including Monascus molds and yeast cells. Those fungal elements are typically associated with brewing alcohol.
Liu Li, a researcher from Stanford University, hypothesized about the brew's cultural significance.
"These alcoholic beverages likely played a pivotal role in ceremonial feasting, highlighting their ritual significance as a potential driving force behind the increased use and widespread cultivation of rice in Neolithic China."
The evidence unearthed in this study is the earliest record of alcohol fermentation documented in East Asia.
Unfortunately, there's no word on what the beverage tasted like. If it's anything like rice beer nowadays, it can taste similar to Sake. That said, the taste can differ massively, although many say it's lighter than other beers. Sadly, describing alcohol tastes like a true "connoisseur" usually involves a long-winded vocabulary I do not possess.
