"Can We Really Drink This?" 2,300-Year-Old Alcohol Discovered, Nearly Intact

Analysis Confirms Grain-Based Wine
"Believed to Be Communal Cemetery for Qin Soldiers and Residents"

Alcohol dating back 2,300 years has been discovered at a tomb site from the Warring States period in China, sparking widespread interest.

Grain wine residue from the Warring States period (475–221 BC) photographed on August 6, 2024, in Guyuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China. It is estimated to be traces of alcohol from over 2,300 years ago. Photo by Xinhua News Agency·Yonhap

On August 11, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), a bronze jar with a garlic bulb-shaped mouth was unearthed from the Shanzabao tomb, located about 2 kilometers from the Qin-era Great Wall site from the Warring States period (403–221 BC) in Guyuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China.

Researchers at the Ningxia Institute of Archaeology began excavating the Shanzabao tomb in March 2024 and uncovered a total of 183 tombs from the Warring States period. Among these, 179 were confirmed to be associated with the Qin culture. The research team believes the site likely served as a communal cemetery for soldiers stationed at the Great Wall area and local residents.

The jar was excavated from Tomb No. 39. It was sealed with a double-layered technique: cloth lined the interior and organic clay coated the exterior, which allowed the contents to remain nearly perfectly sealed for over 2,000 years. From roughly 3.74 liters of liquid inside the jar, 24 types of compounds were detected, including organic acids and their derivatives, amino acids and their derivatives, and carbohydrates.

The distribution pattern of organic acids matched that of artificially matured Chinese Huangjiu, indicating that the liquid was a grain-based wine rather than a fruit-based wine such as grape wine. Analysis of the residue revealed that more than 92% of the starch originated from foxtail millet, while the remainder came from wheat and barley. Foxtail millet is a drought-resistant grain that has been cultivated in northern China for food for approximately 10,000 years.

The findings from this discovery were published in the June issue of the international Journal of Archaeological Science. Lead author and Xibei University PhD candidate Chen Lulu stated, "This research clearly demonstrates how people in the Qin era utilized grains and which brewing techniques they employed. It will also help to reconstruct and provide a more detailed understanding of the evolution of ancient Chinese brewing technology."

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