“Ancient Sips: What 2,500-Year-Old Beer Cups Reveal About Humanity’s Dawn”
Imagine sipping from a 2,500-year-old cup and finding out it once held beer instead of vintage wine—like discovering your favorite ancient watering hole is older than your great-great-grandma! It turns out, archaeologists just unearthed some of the earliest evidence of beer consumption in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization and, believe it or not, a vital part of daily life back in the day. This groundbreaking discovery was made possible thanks to a nifty new excavation technique that uncovered traces of barley beer on ancient ceramic cups at a site in present-day Kurdistan, Northern Iraq. So, grab your brewski and join me as we explore how this ancient culture embraced beer long before it became a hipster favorite. LEARN MORE
The traces found on these cups represent some of the earliest evidence of beer ever found.
Sirwan Regional ProjectBeer drinking cups being excavated at Khani Masi.
Scientists have long known that beer played an important role in ancient Mesopotamia, widely known as the cradle of human civilization, but they struggled to find concrete evidence of the beverage — until now.
Archaeologists discovered a new excavation technique that allowed them to detect trace amounts of beer residue on 2,500-year-old ceramic cups. In a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, researchers revealed their new groundbreaking technique and how it helped them discover the first chemical identification of beer in Mesopotamia (and some of the earliest evidence of beer found anywhere).
