31/07/2026
Ningxia archaeologists unearth 2,300-year-old liquor
Archaeologists in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region of northwestern China have uncorked new insights into ancient brewing practices after unearthing residue of a 2,300-year-old grain-based alcoholic drink.
The cereal-based residue, discovered at the Shanjibao cemetery in Guyan city, harks back to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), and helps experts to understand the brewing technology of Qin people who resided in the area at the time.
The sample is believed to be China’s best-preserved liquid alcohol relic from the era publicly reported to date, according to the study, which appeared in the June edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
Researchers extracted the 3,740 ml liquid from inside a bronze pot with a garlic-shaped mouth – the type commonly used in the Qin era – before subjecting it to scientific analysis to determine its date of origin, according to the regional department of culture and tourism.
Ancient understandings
Analysis of the samples, led by the Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology and the School of Cultural Heritage at Northwest University, revealed detailed flavour profiles, diagnostic organic acids, starches, phytoliths and yeast, providing multiple lines of evidence that helped researchers identify the ingredients and brewing techniques used to produce the alcoholic tipple.
As part of the project, 183 tombs were excavated, 179 of which belonged to the Qin people. The bronze bottle belonged to Tomb M39, and was packaged with organic mud on the outside, and its inner walls were lined with textile fabrics; secure sealing which explains how the ancient spirit survived more than two millennia intact.
Researchers prised open the seal with a scalpel and forceps, before extracting the liquor, which came out a pale, clear, blue-green colour.
The study found that the Qin people had already mastered the use of grain-based fermentation starters, enabling saccharification and fermentation to occur simultaneously – an indication of the sophisticated brewing techniques they had developed for the period.
