Scientists from the University of Warsaw and Lodz University of Technology have identified what they say are the earliest chemical traces of fermented alcoholic beverages in northeastern Poland, after analysing 4,500-year-old ceramic vessels linked to the Bell Beaker culture.
The findings, published in the journal Archaeometry (https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.70024), are based on fragments of 13 ceramic vessels discovered at archaeological sites in Supraśl in the North Podlasie Lowland and Skrzeszew in the Masovian Lowland.
Researchers said the vessels were associated with ritual practices characteristic of the Bell Beaker culture.
Scientists identified organic compounds of animal and plant origin preserved in the ceramic material, including lactic acid, acetic acid and azelaic acid, which naturally occur in wheat and barley. The analysis also detected metabolic products of bacteria and yeast, indicating fermentation processes.
“Findings indicate that at least nine vessels once held fermented alcohol beverages resembling beer or more complex fermented mixtures, such as Nordic grog. These findings represent the earliest chemical traces of fermented alcohol beverages in this region, dating to the second half of the third millennium BCE,” the researchers wrote in the publication.
The study also identified biomarkers linked to grain processing, including azelaic acid and plant sterols, suggesting the use of cereals such as wheat or barley, fruits and possibly resins used to preserve or flavour beverages.
Researchers said the apparent use of wheat and barley is significant because the oldest known evidence of cereal cultivation in the region dates to the Late Bronze Age.
“This suggests the possibility of importing raw materials for alcohol production from other regions where cereal cultivation was already well-developed (e.g., Kujawy, Chełmno Land). This indicates the existence of a network of contacts and exchanges, which is also confirmed by sources from other sites in the region’, the authors of the paper report.
The Bell Beaker culture emerged between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago in Western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula before spreading into Central Europe. It is known for its distinctive bell-shaped pottery.
Researchers said the discoveries suggest alcoholic beverages may have played an important role in funerary and social rituals associated with the culture, as seen elsewhere in Europe.
Similar organic compounds were also identified in a vessel fragment from the later Trzciniec culture, suggesting the tradition of consuming fermented beverages may have continued in the region into the Early Bronze Age. (PAP)
PAP - Science in Poland
ekr/ agt/
tr. RL
