“Ancient Secrets Unveiled: 3,000-Year-Old Liquor Discovered in Mysterious Owl Vessel from Shang Dynasty Tomb!”
Imagine unearthing a time capsule of sorts, but instead of old postcards and fading photographs, you find a bronze vessel filled with China’s oldest known distilled liquor. Yep, that’s a real thing! Hidden for over 3,000 years, this owl-shaped vessel, discovered in a Shang Dynasty tomb, has sparked both excitement and mystery among historians and archaeologists. How did they craft this ancient brew? Was it a cheeky concoction from fruits, rice, or something more perplexing? While experts have traced this spirit back to the late second millennium B.C.E., the exact method of its creation remains cloaked in enigma. So pour yourself a drink—ideally not of this ancient liquor, as we explore a fascinating chapter in China’s history that redefines our understanding of distilling. Intrigued? Come along for the ride and get the full scoop! LEARN MORE.
While experts known that this distilled spirit dates to the Shang Dynasty period in the late second millennium B.C.E. and that it was likely made from fruit or rice, little is certain about how it was created.
The Archaeology Institute of Jinan CityThe ancient owl-shaped vessel containing China’s oldest-known distilled liquor.
For more than 3,000 years, China’s oldest-known distilled spirit remained hidden inside a bronze, owl-shaped vessel unearthed within a Shang Dynasty tomb.
Discovered in 2010 in Jinan, China, the vessel contained a mysterious clear liquid. After 15 years of preservation and study, it was, in 2024, identified as distilled liquor — the earliest-known example in China’s history.
