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Penn Museum main gate and Warden’s garden

He found the oldest-known on the planet... The biomolecular archaeology of ancient alcoholic beverages

By Ian Hornsey

In May 2016 the World Beer Cup, splendidly organised by the Brewers’ Association, was held in Philadelphia, the city where the ‘American Dream’ began. Having been invited to judge at the event, my thoughts turned to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and its excellent Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (known as The Penn Museum) – with its world-renowned Biomolecular Archaeology Project. McGovern in the laboratory

f time permitted, I might be able to After three hectic days of judging, I Health. He is also Adjunct Professor Itake the short train journey from our managed to find a mutually convenient of Anthropology at UPenn, where he downtown base, the Pennsylvania Con- slot for my visit to UPenn and caught teaches molecular archaeology. vention Centre (PCC) and meet up with the highly efficient SEPTA (Southeast- Much of McGovern’s earlier work at Penn Museum’s Dr Patrick McGovern ern Pennsylvania Transportation Au- Penn Museum was carried out under the whose interests in the history of alco- thority) train from Jefferson, a station auspices of the Museum Applied Science holic beverages very much coincide almost inside PCC, to the University Centre for Archaeology (MASCA), which with mine. City stop, roughly midway between first saw the light of day in 1961 and In fact, the chap I was going to meet downtown and the airport. At the mu- from which studies on ancient organic has identified the world’s oldest known seum, I was met by McGovern, known materials were carried out. barley beer and the oldest – in those parts as ‘Dr Pat’, who is now In the early days of MASCA much and found the oldest alcoholic beverage Director of the Biomolecular Project of the work revolved around the then of any kind on the planet! for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages and new technique of radio-carbon dating

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but under its second director, Stuart /starch-rich plants, developed Fleming, the scope of the Centre was the technology for making their own broadened considerably and was to alcoholic beverages – and there are include topics such as the application very few, if any, societies whose peo- of scientific techniques to anthropo- ples knew about ethanol – and so paid logical questions. little attention to it. Forget about crys- Texas-born McGovern joined tal meth and the like; today, ethanol MASCA as a research scientist in 1979 is the most widely used psychoactive and since then he has been engaged in substance in the world. a wide range of research in archaeo- Because of the inherent chemical logical chemistry, including radiocar- stability of the principle of the above bon dating, caesium magnetometer mentioned Royal Purple dye com- surveying, neutron activation analysis, pound, which is 6,6’-dibromoindigotin infrared spectrometry and HPLC. It is Grooved sherd from (DBI), detection of it in ancient textile fair to say that McGovern’s laboratory ties, scientists, scholars, and private samples is relatively straightforward, at UPenn has consistently been at the institutions and individuals from as long as the sample has been suit- cutting edge in the development of around world, particularly bemoan- ably preserved. Ancient artefacts con- analytical archaeochemistry. ing the potential loss of McGovern’s taining traces of fermented foods and The multidisciplinary nature of ground-breaking research. beverages, however, which would have McGovern’s work is an extension of his The general feeling was, both contained more labile compounds such university studies, for his first degree locally and internationally, that the as ethanol, present a totally different was an AB in chemistry from Cornell decision represented a departure problem and ‘surrogate’ (marker) com- University, which led to a period of from the ethos of the 1887 founders. pounds must be identified to confirm graduate research at neurochemistry Subsequently, around two-thirds of the the identity of the sample. at the University of Rochester Univer- ‘endangered’ staff were offered new For evidence of , tartaric acid/ sity in upstate New York. positions within the museum, gener- tartrates are used as a marker, while This chemistry-orientated begin- ally as retired, non-paid ‘volunteers’. for the oxalate ion (beerstone; ning to his training was followed by McGovern now serves in this role, as calcium oxalate) is the marker. Over PhD studies in Near Eastern archaeol- he continues to carry out and direct the years, McGovern has increasingly ogy and literature at UPenn, where he significant biomolecular archaeologi- applied more sensitive and precise would subsequently find employment cal research. chemical techniques, starting out with as a research specialist in MASCA. An a combination of FT-IR, HPLC, snf important part of that post involved the McGovern’s work Feigl spot tests, and now generally excavation of Bronze Age and Iron Age A glance through a list of his numer- using GC-MS and tandem LC-MS-MS, sites in the Baq’ah Valley, Jordan, a ous publications indicates the breadth along with other methods (e.g., SPME project which he directed for decades of the archaeological topics that he has and isotope analysis) as needed. The as a research associate in the Near studied in the forty-odd years he has search for biomarkers continues. For Eastern section of the Museum. been at UPenn. Although McGovern’s example, the yeast sterol ergosterol main interests now involve the archae- [ergosta-5,7,22-trien’3β-ol] has been Penn Museum restructuring ochemistry of foodstuffs, particularly proposed as marker for identifying Over the years, Penn Museum, with alcoholic beverages, his early work yeast fermentation activity. its mission to: ‘advance understand- was much more diverse and included McGovern and colleagues identified ing of the world’s cultural heritage’, geophysical prospecting for archaeo- well-preserved ribosomal DNA strands has acquired a unique reputation as a logical sites. of a ‘precursor’ of Saccharomayces research institution which has carried Subsequently, he has identified and cerevisiae, 840 base pairs in length, in out many significant archaeological dated a number of diverse artefacts, the residues of imported wine jars from projects, most notably in the Middle including: a very early form of iron/ the tomb of one of ’s first kings, East, Mesoamerica, and the Mediter- carbon metal (steel) worked into Scorpion I of Dynasty 0, at Abydos ca. ranean. The museum’s field-based anklets and bracelets found in burial 3150 BC (see below). research set is aside from other caves in the Baq’ah Valley, a geological McGovern stresses that the chemi- university-based museums in the US. graben feature on the Transjordanian cal argument for an ancient fermented At the end of November 2008, Plateau; colorants in ancient Egyptian however, the archaeological world glassmaking; identification of the ear- was stunned when Penn Museum an- liest use of the dye Royal Purple which nounced that it was cutting a number of was widely used by the Phoenicians, specialist anthropological and archaeo- and chemical and archaeological logical research positions. The cuts evidence for the earliest use of cacao were officially attributed to a ‘strategic (Theobroma spp.) in beverages. planning decision’ rather than to the Thanks to workers like McGovern downturn in the US economy. and his associates, it is now evident As a result of this ‘strategic plan- that with the exception of Oceania and ning’, MASCA was to be disbanded and most of North America, tribal peo- Patrick McGovern would be one of the ples from all the inhabitable parts of casualties. Letters of protest poured in the planet that developed in climates from antiquity departments, universi- capable of supporting the growth of Sumerian sign for beer (upper left)

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beverage must also be bolstered by archaeobotanical and well-dated, well-preserved and well-provenanced archaeological evidence, including ancient texts and artwork, ethnogra- phy, – and experimental archaeology in testing the ingredients and production processes for the proposed beverages.

Godin Tepe In terms of McGovern’s publication chronology, the first report of direct relevance to beer relates to finds at the Late period (Period V; 3,500-2,900 BC) site at Godin Tepe in the central of western . This particular period in human evolution has provided Homo sapiens with many ‘firsts’, including irrigation systems, codes of law, bureaucracy and writing, and to these we can add ‘chemical evidence for beer’. As McGovern averred: “The Late is contemporaneous with Some important Near Eastern archaeological sites in the search for wine urban life as we know it.” Excavations at Godin Tepe yielded a fragment from given the site was in close contact with Archäologisches Institut (Orient- a vessel which had character- lowland Greater , where Abteilung) and the Forschungszentrum istic criss-cross grooves on its inner beer was the preferred drink. The beer Weihenstephan für Brau- und Lebens- surface. Deposited in some of these at Godin Tepe was likely made from mittelqualität. grooves was a yellowish residue which locally-grown barley because carbon- tested positive for the beerstone con- ised six-row barley predominated in In search of wine stituent calcium oxalate (Feigl test). the archaeobotanical material recov- Historically, the Zagros Mountains are Although the outer surfaces of con- ered from Period V.” more synonymous with viticulture and temporary vessels were often scored To confirm that they were work- than beer and brewing, for decoration, markings on the inside ing along correct lines, McGovern’s since the domesticated Eurasian grape- are unusual and must have some spe- team applied the same methodology vine ( vlnifera subsp. vinifera) which cial significance. The suggestion was to a deposit from an ancient Egyptian struggled in the arid lowland heat, made that they promoted sedimenta- New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC) vessel flourished in upland Mesopotamia. tion of suspended material (e.g. yeast in which it is highly likely that beer was Possible evidence of winemak- cells, and calcium oxalate in this case) stored. Described as a ‘blue-painted ing equipment (a large funnel and a and that the vessels were either used beer bottle’, such a container is smaller lid) was found in a room of for brewing or for beer storage. It will depicted in tomb paintings and reliefs a building at Godin Tepe, but grape be noted that the scoring on the inner being used in a ‘bread and beer’ ritual. pips, which are often well preserved surface of the ceramic fragment bears Again, oxalate was detected. when carbonised, were absent. An some resemblance to the Sumerian The team also tested beerstone interesting find was several shards graphic sign for ‘beer’ – called kaš and scrapings from a modern US micro- from unusual narrow-mouthed, long- depicting a pottery vessel with internal brewery in Philadelphia. The basis of necked, jars, which on close inspection linear markings. the Feigl spot test (sensitive to 10-6g) is contained reddish deposits on their Beerstone oxalate emanates from the reduction of oxalate in an acid me- innermost sides and bases. barley, but this was not the sole plant dium to produce glyoxalic acid – which These deposits tested positive for species in the Godin Tepe vicinity to be then gives a pinkish-yellow colour with tartaric acid. Assembly of the shards a major source of oxalate ions; rhubarb phenylhydrazine and hydrogen perox- revealed they were of a unique pottery and spinach in particular were also ide. More exacting techniques using type that had an applied rope-like identified. However, these two plants FT-IR and tandem LC-MS-MS are now decoration in two inverted U-shapes only represent a minor part of the hu- available, and are planned to be ap- on their outer surfaces. According to man diet when compared to cereals and plied to a recently initiated project on McGovern: “During the Late Uruk pe- so it is unlikely that they, or anything chemically identifying residues inside riod, rope designs often indicated the derived from them, would have been large vats at the important early Neo- placement of real rope. The shape and responsible for the jar deposits. lithic site of Göbekli Tepe in eastern placement of the inverted U suggested As McGovern said at the time: “The (as early as 9500 BC). a means by which these vessels could discovery of oxalate inside the Godin Göbekli Tepe is close to the pro- have been supported on their sides. Tepe jug confirmed the archaeologi- posed region where einkorn wheat In fact, the red deposits on the cal and pictographic evidence that the was domesticated, according to DNA interiors of one whole vessel were con- vessel was a beer container. The result evidence. This work will be carried out fined to the base and the sidewall. The should not be surprising, since that in collaboration with the Deutsches red residue was on the same side of www.ibd.org.uk Brewer and Distiller International August 2017 z 37 l BREWING HISTORY

artefact, any analysis must be carried ish residues which contained calcium out without damage to the sample. tartrate. Also identified in the residue The first step is to find out whether was the oleoresin from the terebinth the residue is ‘organic’ or ‘inorganic’ tree (Pistacia atlantica), widely used as a and to do this McGovern uses the ver- wine additive and a medicine. satile techniques of transmission and Following on from the Hajji Firuz diffuse-reflectance Fourier-transform Tepe discovery, collaborative genomic IR spectrometry (DRIFTS). Character- work into DNA-typing of grape culti- istic spectra are obtained which are vars from Transcaucasia and , compared to a control (deposit-free areas which have long been thought of area of the jar) and a standard refer- as likely homelands for viticulture, was ence sample (an ancient jar known to carried out. Using specific micros- have contained wine). atellite markers, 116 accessions of The DRIFTS results ‘strongly sug- cultivars from Turkey, and gested that the carboxylic acid in the Georgia, together with wild , extracts is tartaric acid.’ Because the were genotyped. three stereoisomers of tartaric acid Analysis of the results indicated have different DRIFTS spectra, the that: “Most of the Armenian, Georgian spectrum from the Godin Tepe jar de- and Turkish germplasms were well posit sample was closely compared to, separated and could have multiple Godin Tepe jug with applied ‘rope’ decoration and matched, that from L-(+) tartaric origins, although they are likely to have acid, the naturally occurring isomer. common ancestors,” the vessel as the applied rope decora- It is now that the Feigl spot test is Moreover, the wild Turkish grape tion on the outside. The deposit was used to confirm tartaric acid. HPLC clustered closely with the European precisely where materials would have analyses provided further support. If any cultivars, whereas the wild European settled out from the liquid if the vessel one test had been negative, the wine grape was far removed from those cul- had been stored on its side.” hypothesis would have been nullified. tivars and so cannot account for their With their taller necks and rela- Despite one or two questions origin. The implication is that as the do- tively narrow mouths, these jars differ remaining unanswered, McGovern was mesticated grapevine was transplanted from others of the same period and confident enough to say: “Although westwards from the Near East, wild would be ideal for storing and pour- the Godin Tepe jars very probably vines crossed or introgressed with it to ing liquids. In addition, unfired clay contained wine, it is still uncertain yield the modern European cultivars. ‘stopper-like’ artefacts were located whether the beverage was produced It was from the interest in this work nearby. Their diameters were slightly on site from grapes grown locally. that the Eurasian grape (V. vinifera) was smaller than those of the jar mouth, The evidence for a local wine-making chosen as the first domesticated fruit to suggesting that the jars might have installation is only a large funnel and a have its genome fully sequenced. been sealed. When presented with putative lid for pressing the grapes. something like that red deposit on an “Nevertheless, if one were search- The legacy of King Scorpion I ing for an early centre of wine produc- In another important contribution to tion, Godin Tepe – centrally located ancient winemaking, McGovern’s team on a major trade route in the central were asked to examine jars found in Zagros Mountains – would be an excel- excavations of an ancient Egyptian lent place to begin. The people from tomb at Abydos in the Middle Nile. the Transcaucasian region, approxi- In this collaborative work, ‘hun- mately 600km to the north where wild dreds’ of jars, dated to ca.3150 BC, grapes ( subsp. silvestris) which had been recovered from the still grow today, were likely in contact tomb (designated U-j) of King Scorpion with Godin Tepe in Period V. I, one of the first kings of Egypt, were “The emerging cities of lowland examined. The jars contained organic Mesopotamia, especially their elite debris (shown later to be remnants of classes, represented a large potential yeast) which had emanated from wine market for wine”. (as evidenced by grape pips and the Wine jars from Abydos in the Middle Nile region occasional whole grape). They were stacked in three rooms and it was cal- Important though the Godin Tepe wine culated that, if each jar had been filled, find was, chemical evidence of an even there would have been 1,200 gallons of earlier instance of vinification was wine in tomb U-j. reported a little later. This came from Chemical tests showed that Hajji Firuz Tepe, another site in the Scorpion I’s wine was resinated with Zagros Mountains, just to the north of pine (and possibly terebinth, Pistacia Godin Tepe. palaestina) and had probable herbal Two pottery jars, dated to 5400-5000 additives, with wormwood/mugwort BC, a period when the first permanent (Artemisia sp.), tansy, coriander, sage, human settlements were being estab- germander, balm, savory, senna,thyme Wine cellar at the same site in Abydos lished, contained reddish and yellow- and/or mint being identified.

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The Midas touch? Penn Museum started excavations at an artificially constructed tumulus (called ‘MM’) at Gordion (ca. 100 km south-west of Ankara) in central Tur- key over fifty years ago. Buried inside this 45-metre high mound of stones and soil was a sealed tomb, originally believed to be that of King Midas) who founded Gordion and ruled this area (then called Phrygia) around 700 BC. Archaeologists now generally agree that the body was that of King Midas’ father Gordius, but debate continues. The date of burial was calculated at around 740-700 BC, and when the tomb was opened it revealed the body The ‘Midas mound’ at Gordion of a 60-65-year-old male lying on a huge pile of blue- and purple-dyed most spectacular vessels were a brass textiles – “Signifying royalty in the lion-head bucket (situla) and a ram- The legend of King Midas Near East,” McGovern tells me. Also head situla presumably for serving the prominent was: “The largest Iron Age beverage. The grapevine did not grow in ancient drinking set ever found,” consisting This follows standard Near East Egypt – so where did the grapes come of 160 bronze vessels, including large protocol as can be seen from the wall from? Neutron activation analysis of vats, jugs, and drinking bowls. relief from the palace of the Assyrian the pottery indicated that it had come These objects were obviously used king Sargon II at Khorsabad (modern from the southern hill-country of for a huge ‘farewell dinner’ prior to ) dated ca. 701 BC. It depicts situ- Palestine and the Jordan Valley – so the body being interred. The utensils lae being used to serve drink from a this was evidence of Early Bronze and food remains, along with items large pedestal bowl during a ceremony Age trade between Egypt and Pales- of wooden furniture (thought to have to celebrate a military victory. tine and its surrounds. Presumably, been dining and serving tables), were A number of ceramic jars were the jars were filled with wine before buried with the body – preserving them also recovered and these had a differ- transport to Abydos. for posterity. ent type of deposit. To quote McGovern Tomb U-j was deeply buried in sand, Items found included three large again: “Preservation conditions were conditions conducive (i.e. near zero cauldrons on iron tripod stands, 19 extraordinarily good inside the tomb, humidity) to preservation of organic large two-handled bowls, 100 bronze which is the earliest known intact material, so, using the usual anti-con- drinking bowls, 19 small jugs, and wooden structure in the world, dated tamination precautions, the wine lees two long-spouted jugs. Probably the at about 700 BC.” deposit from a tomb jar was subjected A farewell dinner to standard ribosomal DNA extraction And back to Penn and PCR amplification techniques. The Gordion samples had been stored As McGovern said: “The recovery of for over 40 years at Penn Museum whole dried figs and raisins from some prior to McGovern examining them. jars indicates how extraordinary the preservation conditions were inside the tomb”. Results showed that an inordinately high level of yeast rDNA, of differing sizes, had been extracted – probably because dead cells were included – and calculated at 12 mg/jar (of approximately 6L capacity). Ram head situla After an exhaustive list of pos- Large cauldron from the Midas mound sible causes of contamination of the sample had been discounted, it was concluded: “That the lees inside a ≈5000-year-old wine jar contain DNA from an organism that can confidently be assigned to Saccharomyces cerevi- siae has important implications for the evolution of wine, bread, and beer yeasts… These results provide the oldest evidence of an association of a micro-organism of S. cerevisiae with Wall relief from Khorsabad showing situlae being used to human activities”. Drinking bowl (or omphalos) serve drink from pedestal bowl www.ibd.org.uk Brewer and Distiller International August 2017 z 39 l BREWING HISTORY

Dogfish Head brewery

When artefacts were returned to Penn ery to produce the first of their ‘Ancient Museum in the 1950s, it was noticed Ales’ series of beers, ‘Midas Touch that many of the metal tomb vessels Golden Elixir’, which was brewed to a contained a golden-yellow residue recipe based on McGovern’s archaeo- likely to be the remnants of a liquid. chemical findings. Analytical techniques of the day The brewery, founded in a brewpub revealed ‘carbon, nitrogen and other in Milton, Delaware in 1995 (commer- elements characteristic of organic cial brewing was illegal in Delaware materials’, but via an array of tech- in 1995 and Sam had to go to the floor niques such as IR spectrometry, mass of the State Senate to get the law spectrometry and GLC, McGovern was changed!), and its beer quickly became able to identify these deposits more very popular and a separate brewery exhaustively. Deposits from a number was opened the following year. of different vessels were examined and Since then, a distillery and a hotel tartaric acid/tartrate was omnipresent. (‘Dogfish Inn’) have been added to the Certain vessels tested positive for business and the company’s name has oxalate and the long-chained, satu- been licensed to ale houses in other rated carbon compounds character- states. The brewery has always been istic of beeswax were also confirmed. noted for its innovative brewing ethos; The latter, together with the presence McGovern and Calagione the company motto being: “Off-cen- of gluconic acid, confirmed the pres- had been marinated in a mixture of tered ales for off-centered people.” ence of . Thus, the liquid in those olive oil, honey and wine (represented Because of the inherent sweet- metal vessels, or ‘Phrygian grog’, as by oleic/elaidic acids, gluconic acid and ness of the ‘Midas Touch Golden Elixir’ McGovern called it, was a wine/beer/ tartaric acid) before being barbecued. recipe, Calagione felt that he had to honey mixture, probably rather like a The latter treatment is indicated by the balance this with some bitterness. medieval, north European ‘braggot’. presence of cresol and phenanthrene. Hops were out of the question because Eighteen handleless ceramic jars Large amounts of cereals and len- they played no part in ancient Near (dinoi) and some small amphorae con- tils were also recovered on site and in Eastern brewing (or in ancient Egypt). tained appreciable amounts (ca. 150g) addition to what has been mentioned Ultimately, McGovern proposed saffron of ‘spongiform and brownish material, above, the remains of several buildings because it is native to Turkey, slightly quite unlike the shiny dark residues identified as possible breweries and/ bitter, imparts a yellowish colour, and in a yellowish matrix found inside the or bakeries have also been identified has that wonderful fragrance. bronze drinking vessels.’ The jars were at Gordion, with evidence of charred Malted barley and honey presented surrounded by ‘large clumps of similar grains, germinated barley, grinders, no problem for they are both known material.’ ovens and ceramic vessels; the latter from the , but nothing Laboratory analysis of this, appar- possibly indicating beer consumption. was known about the grape used in ently homogeneous, material indicated Gordion in antiquity. They decided upon that it consisted of the remnants of a Dogfish Head collaboration yellow Muscat grapes for ‘Midas’ since splendid meal. The chemical profile In 1999, McGovern collaborated with its DNA has affinities with the earliest suggested sheep or goat meat which Sam Calagione’s Dogfish Head brew- grape varieties known in the Near East.

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When the beer was first put out Ta Henket (4.5% ABY; first brewed into the market in 2001, the name was late-2010), based on an archaeobo- shortened to ‘Midas Touch’ and it has tanical evidence from Palaeolithic proved very successful, being part of and Egyptian sites and the the regular beer portfolio. This Iron chemical evidence from the Scorpion Age-era drink has been seen, by some, I wine jars. to be ‘reminiscent of Sauternes.” Calagione and McGovern travelled The Midas Touch episode attracted to Egypt to produce a TV programme much media interest, especially when for the Discovery Channel’s Brew the beer started to win prizes; a silver Masters series and were filmed on a medal at the 2005 Great American Beer mission to ‘capture’ a ‘wild’ Egyptian Festival, a bronze at the 2008 World yeast in a date palm grove. The sam- Chinese interlude Beer Cup and several gold awards. The ple was replicated in the laboratory The other beer in the ‘ancient ales’ latter are particularly appropriate and and used for fermentation. Ingredi- portfolio, and the second after ‘Midas help to make Midas Touch by far the ents were gathered in the Cairo suq. Touch’, is Chateau Jiahu (10.0% most decorated Dogfish beer. The beer was brewed with emmer ABV), which was first brewed in These successes inspired Cala- wheat loaves of hearth-baked bread, 2006. McGovern and colleagues were gione and McGovern to experiment and flavoured with chamomile, dom responsible for identifying what has with other recipes based on ancient palm fruit and the popular Middle proved to be the world’s earliest finds, and, over the years, the following Eastern herbal mixture, za’tar (thyme alcoholic beverage (ca.7000-5500 BC). beers have appeared: and savory). Evidence for this important event in Theobroma (9.0% ABV; first brewed Birra Etrusca Bronze (8.5% ABV; first human history comes from the much- 2008), based on jar fragment deposits brewed 2012), brewed from a two- studied early Neolithic site at Jiahu in from Honduras which revealed the rowed malted barley and an “heirloom the Chinese province of Henan. earliest chemical evidence for a fer- Italian wheat”. Ingredients include The site is also noteworthy for its mented chocolate (Theobroma cacao) pomegranate, flour, Italian early Chinese and some of the beverage, as early as ca. 1400-1100 chestnut honey, Delaware wildflower country’s earliest short-grained rice, BC. Brewed with Soconusco cocoa honey, clover honey, and “a handful” of which is intermediate between the wild powder from the prime Aztec area of whole hops. Most of the bittering comes and domesticated forms. Jiahu has south-western Mexico, cocoa nibs, from gentian and ; also yielded evidence of possibly very honey, chillies, and annatto tree seeds. Kvasir (10.0% ABY; first brewed 2013). early Chinese written characters and, Chicha (5.7% ABV; first brewed 2009), The recipe is based on biomolecular thus far, the earliest playable musical an unfiltered beer brewed with yel- archaeological evidence from sites in instruments (bone flutes). low and purple corn (see Brewer and Denmark and Sweden (Gotland). It is The Jiahu beverage remains were Distiller International, July 2015.) Purple brewed with red winter wheat, honey from pottery jars, including two-han- corn is masticated to impart enzymes and birch , cranberries and cow- dled, narrow-mouthed storage jars, for germination and then expectorated; , and spiced with bog myrtle, and jars with high flaring necks and yellow corn is malted. The beer has clover, yarrow and juniper. To partially rims – suitable for pouring a liquid. a ‘purple-pink hue from the Peruvian counterbalance , a ‘handful Some perforated basins, possibly for corn, and pepper berries.’ of hops’ is added. preparation of the beverage, were also www.ibd.org.uk Brewer and Distiller International August 2017 z 41 l BREWING HISTORY

Some bronze vessel finds from an elite burial of the 2nd millennium BC had been so well preserved that they still had liquid content in them, because they had become hermetically sealed when their tightly fitting lids corroded, preventing evaporation. One type of vessel was a lidded ‘teapot’ and on opening it McGovern noted that there was still a pervading “fragrant aroma”. Chemical analysis of the liquid Metal lidded ‘teapot’ from Anyang (ca. 1250- prompted McGovern to pen: “According 1000 BC) Ceramics from Jiahu to detected compounds such as presented us with found and their residues tested. and alpha-cedrene, beta-amyrin and the award. Fortunately, artefacts from a later oleanolic acid, specific aromatic herbs “Sam, who period of Henan civilisation (ca. 1250- (e.g., wormword), flowers (e.g., chrysan- already had nu- 1000 BC) had been collected from themum), and/or tree (e.g., China merous medals, another excavation and examination of fir and elemi) had been added to the turned to me and the contents of these allowed McGov- wines. In addition, benzaldehyde, acetic draped the Jiahu ern the rare opportunity to assess acid, and short-chain alcohols were medal around later alcoholic beverage developments characteristic of rice and millet wines.” my neck. Back in in China (or, at least, Henan Province). The problems encountered in re- Philadelphia, I set The earliest texts from China creating a 9000-year-old drink tested up a small shrine McGovern’s book (late-Shang dynasty; ca 1200-1046 BC) the mettle of the McGovern/Cala- in my office. The Ancient Brews, distinguish three alcoholic beverages: gione collaboration – and the result, medal now adorns with foreword from li, a seemingly a low-alcoholic (and ‘Chateau Jiahu’, is a compliment to a bottle of Cha- Calagione sweet) rice or millet drink; chang, a all concerned. Determining and then teau Jiahu with the enigmatic lady of herbal wine, and jiu, a fully-fermented sourcing meaningful ingredients was Sam’s dreams on its label. Several of rice or millet drink. At a likely alcohol especially taxing. the 9000-year old sherds, which we content of 10-15% ABW, the later was Eventually, the following ingredients analyzed, keep her company. Every essentially a wine. were used: pre-gelatinised rice (with morning when I enter my lab, I bow McGovern visited China over the bran included), malted barley, orange to the shrine and gain inspiration for period 1999-2002 to work with his blossom honey, Muscat grape juice, and the day.” I eagerly await the imminent Chinese collaborators and samples hawthorn fruit. The mash was fermented publication of McGovern’s latest book were taken back to the US for analysis, with sake yeast for one month. There results being first reported in 2004. Via was some consternation when the US References: the usual chemical methods, finger- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Calagione, S. Extreme Brewing. Quarry print compounds were identified for (ATF) disallowed the use of hawthorn Books, Beverly, MA. 2006 rice, beeswax, and wild grape/hawthorn fruit in an alcoholic beverage, but after Hornsey, I.S. Chicha charisma....A sacred signifying a mixed fermented beer/ ‘endless negotiations’, they relented by beer that is more than just a drink. The Brew- er & Distiller International 11: 38-42. 2015. wine/mead beverage. The identification allowing the powder to be used. McGovern, P.E. Ancient Wine; The Search for of this mixed beverage at Jiahu, as early McGovern, who has been described the Origins of Viniculture. Princeton Univer- as 9000 years ago, is of particular inter- by his peers as ‘part modern scien- sity Press, Princeton, NJ. 2003. est because it approximates to the time tist, part Indiana Jones’, has travelled McGovern, P.E., Fleming, S.J., and Katz, that grape wine and barley beer were extensively in Eurasia, from Georgia S.H. (eds.) The Origins and Ancient History of being made in Middle East. to China in his never-ending quest Wine. Routledge, London. 2004. for samples of fermented beverage McGovern, P.E. Uncorking the Past. Univer- residues. Among many successful sity of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 2009 endeavours in his career, his ability McGovern, P.E. Ancient Brews: Rediscovered to integrate scientific studies with the and Re-created. W.W. Norton & Co. Ltd, New York. 2017. humanities stands out – and the field of biomolecular archaeology which he has pioneered is the epitome of an Images by kind permission of: interdisciplinary study. The Midas mound at Gordion - Univer- Having been fortunate enough to sity of Pennsylvania; experience the euphoria of winning a Large cauldron from the Midas mound, major beer award myself, I feel that Drinking bowl (or omphalos), McGovern’s recollection of his triumph Ram head situla - Gareth Darbyshire; at the 2009 Great American Beer Wine jars from Abydos in the Middle Festival is worth noting: “Word came Nile region, that Chateau Jiahu had taken gold Wine cellar at the same site in Abydos in the specialty honey beer category. - Gunter Dreyer; Sam and I quickly made our way to the Grooved sherd from Godin Tepe, podium, where no less than the home Godin Tepe jug with applied ‘rope’ brewer incarnate, Charlie Papazian, decoration - Virginia Badler

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