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Bronze Age pottery found northwest china has revealed the secret of making red rice wine which was formally consumed in the region in the second millennium BC.
Previous research has shown that the Mogou people of ancient China used a variety of plant resources in their diet and even made wine using them. ancient fermentation method called He,
This method used a starter culture consisting of a brick of microbes growing on grain aspergillus moldYeast and bacteria. What The Neolithic originated in eastern China and spread to the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau by the Bronze Age.
It was known that the Mogou ceremonially consumed rice wine made in this manner, but it was rarely found.
According to a new study published in, “Recent research has highlighted the widespread presence and use of grain-based fermented beverages in Neolithic China. However, studies focusing on Early Bronze Age cultures are limited.” Archaeological Science Report Journal,
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Researchers have found evidence of fermentation using alcohol in clay pots He method and was ritually consumed at the Mogou burial site in the Gansu province of China between 1700 and 1100 BC.
The burials span two ancient cultural periods, Qizia from 2300 to 1500 BC and Siwa from 1400 to 1100 BC. Some of these burials had side chambers located at different depths within the walls and contained ceramic objects above the heads of the interred.
Pottery found in the side chambers provided archaeologists with a rare opportunity to determine whether the Mogou consumed fermented beverages and what brewing methods they used.
The researchers analyzed remains in about 42 pottery vessels spanning different periods at the Mogou site.
They identified the use of various plants in these remains, such as rice, millet, Job’s tears, buckwheat, and plants belonging to the Triticeae family, including barley and wheat.
The study confirmed previous research findings that the Mogou people consumed a variety of plant foods during the second millennium BC.
Starch remains from the vessels also showed signs of enzyme action, confirming fermentation, which is probably part of the He Method of making wine.
“The Mogou people used to make alcoholic beverages using He Method, preparing fermentation starter mainly with rice and monascus To mold,” the researchers wrote.
“it K-Based drinks made from a variety of grains played an important role in their mortuary practices.