Was ancient wine more alcoholic than modern wine?

STAR:Science & Technology of Archaeological Research, 2021

CTComparable to Drieu et al.’s viewpoint, we argue that it is possible to identify ancient Eurasiangrape wine by current biomolecular methods, but only in conjunction with the relevantarchaeological, archaeobotanical, and other natural and social scientific data. Additionally,we advocate an inductive–deductive working hypothesis model, which is appropriate forthe“historical science”of archaeology. We focus on two key deficiencies of Drieu et al.’sargumentation: (1) the assumption that Guasch-Jané et al. (2004) extracted their ancientsamples with potassium hydroxide before testing for tartaric acid/tartrate, and (2) thesupposition that 5000-year-old yeast DNA would not be preserved in the hot climate ofEgypt but rather represents modern contamination

International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 2005

The ancient world was thoroughly steeped in alcohol. From the earliest Neolithic experiments with controlled fermentation to the elaborate drinking cultures of the Classical world and beyond, alcohol has infused and inflected social life for many thousands of years. This lecture and discussion-based course provides an introduction to the production and consumption of beer, wine, and other fermented beverages across the ancient world. We will explore the full range of available source material – written evidence, physical remains, artistic representations, ethnographic accounts, and experimental archaeology – to develop an account of alcohol as a uniquely potent form of material culture that was embedded within complex webs of social, political, economic, and ritual activity.

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ysta20 STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research, 2020

Chemical analysis of archaeological artefacts is used with increasing regularity to understand how wine was produced, traded, and consumed in the past and to shed light on its antiquity. Based both on an extensive review of the published literature and on new analyses, here we critically evaluate the diverse range of methodological approaches that have been used for wine identification. Overall, we conclude that currently none of the proposed chemical 'biomarkers' for wine provide unequivocal evidence. Nevertheless, valid interpretations may be offered if systematically supported by additional contextual data, such as archaeobotanical evidence. We found the extraction and detection method to be particularly crucial for successful identification. We urge the use of controls and quantification to rule out false positives. DNA sequencing offers potential for identifying wine and provides much higher taxonomic resolution, but work is needed to determine the limits of DNA surviva...

The ancient world was thoroughly steeped in alcohol. From the earliest Neolithic experiments with controlled fermentation to the elaborate drinking cultures of the Classical world and beyond, alcohol has infused and inflected social life for many thousands of years. This lecture- and discussion-based course provides an introduction to the production and consumption of beer, wine, and other fermented beverages across the ancient world. We will explore the full range of available source material – written evidence, physical remains, artistic representations, ethnographic accounts, and experimental archaeology – to develop an account of alcohol as a uniquely potent form of material culture that was embedded within complex webs of social, political, economic, and ritual activity. After an introduction to the basic principles of fermentation, we will move through a series of regional case studies. In each case, we will piece together evidence for the places where alcoholic beverages were produced, as well as the technologies and techniques employed. As far as possible, we will consider the beverages themselves – their tastes, textures, and alcohol content – and their effects on imbibers. We will also examine the broader context of consumption, that is, the places, events, and occasions where beer, wine, and other beverages were consumed, often in symbolically loaded circumstances.

STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research

Chemical analysis of archaeological artefacts is used with increasing regularity to understand how wine was produced, traded, and consumed in the past and to shed light on its antiquity. Based both on an extensive review of the published literature and on new analyses, here we critically evaluate the diverse range of methodological approaches that have been used for wine identification. Overall, we conclude that currently none of the proposed chemical 'biomarkers' for wine provide unequivocal evidence. Nevertheless, valid interpretations may be offered if systematically supported by additional contextual data, such as archaeobotanical evidence. We found the extraction and detection method to be particularly crucial for successful identification. We urge the use of controls and quantification to rule out false positives. DNA sequencing offers potential for identifying wine and provides much higher taxonomic resolution, but work is needed to determine the limits of DNA survival on artefacts.

Heritage, 2019

Ancient Roman wine is found outside of the borders of the Roman world as a result of the Roman influence, trade and political relations. In our project, we decided to extensively research and recreate the ancient method of wine making in order to understand ancient viticulture and viniculture as it could have been if implemented outside of the borders. The objective was to recreate roman wine using ancient methods based on ancient texts (such as Columella, Pliny the Elder, Cicero, Cato the Elder, Galenus and Mago). The wine was made using modern grapes grown on lands considered by the Romans as barbaric (i.e., outside the Roman Limes), in modern Poland. The aim of the project—except for the wine making itself—was to measure the level of alcohol created through fermentation process. Ethanol levels in samples were obtained using gas chromatography (GC).

Beverages, 2022

The purpose of this review is to provide a general description of ancient winemaking techniques and wine styles that were most lauded in antiquity, in support of their revival and dissemination today. From the first fully excavated winery, dating from the late fifth to the early fourth millennium BC, the gentle crushing of grapes by foot and the probable absence of maceration indicate that most wines were made with the aim of reducing astringency. The oxidative nature of winemaking would have resulted in rapid browning, so that wines made from red grapes would have had a similar color to those made from white grapes after being aged in clay vats for several years. The difficulty in preventing the wine surface contact with the air would have resulted in biological ageing under the yeast pellicle being a common occurrence. This phenomenon was not considered a flaw, but a characteristic feature of highly prized wines. Dried grapes were used to make sweet wines, which were also highly p...

2021

The ancient world was thoroughly steeped in alcohol. From the earliest Neolithic experiments with controlled fermentation to the elaborate drinking cultures of the Classical world and beyond, alcohol has infused and inflected social life for many thousands of years. This lecture- and discussion-based course provides an introduction to the production and consumption of beer, wine, and other fermented beverages across the ancient world. We will explore the full range of available source material – written evidence, physical remains, artistic representations, ethnographic accounts, and experimental archaeology – to develop an account of alcohol as a uniquely potent form of material culture that was embedded within complex webs of social, political, economic, and ritual activity. In the ancient world, as in our own, alcohol elicited a distinctly mixed range of emotions and opinions, and the consumption of alcohol was often explicitly recognized to entail both positive and negative consequences. Simultaneously celebrated and feared, alcoholic beverages were enthusiastically embraced by many consumers, but they were also considered unpredictable, disruptive, and dangerous. It should hardly be surprising, then, that the world of alcohol was typically encircled and kept in check by elaborate customs, rules, regulations, and prohibitions. And it should hardly be surprising that alcohol occupied a complicated and contradictory position within many societies; for example, it could serve as an invaluable means of facilitating social interaction, building alliances, rewarding supporters, cementing group identity, and accessing the divine realm, while at the same time serving as a support for relations of exclusion, domination, and exploitation or a potential a threat to those in power. After an introduction to the basic principles of fermentation, we will move through a series of regional case studies. In each, we will piece together evidence for the places where alcoholic beverages were produced, as well as the technologies and techniques employed. As far as possible, we will consider the beverages themselves – their tastes, textures, and alcohol content – and their effects on imbibers. We will also examine the broader context of consumption, that is, the places, events, and occasions where alcohlic beverages were consumed, often in symbolically loaded circumstances. And we will consider the broader significance of alcoholic beverages on the social, cultural, political, and economic stage.