Discovery of 5,000-Year-Old Beer Artifacts in China

Chinese archaeologists are on the trail of the secret to brewing a 5,000-year-old beer. According to Live Science, remnants of a beverage believed to be beer have been found in jars unearthed from an ancient site in Shaanxi Province, China. After laboratory analysis of the materials inside these jars, scientists successfully identified oxalate, a byproduct of beer production. Archaeologists have also discovered traces of grains such as barley and millet in these jars, along with parts of ancient plant roots. In this prehistoric brewery, jars, funnels, and stoves have been discovered, dating back to 3400 to 2900 BC. Some archaeologists believe that the brewing industry contributed to the emergence of complex human societies and the development of these communities in this region of China. Barley is one of the most common grains used for beer production. (Beer can also be made from other grains like wheat and millet.) Barley contains significant amounts of the enzyme amylase, which speeds up the conversion of plant starch into sugar. Barley was first cultivated in Western Asia, and the oldest evidence of beer is said to have been found in the Zagros Mountains, dating back 7,000 years. It is believed that barley was initially used for brewing beer and later entered the food system of the people of China.