🍷 Jiahu

Jiahu is an ancient Stone Age settlement in China, in Henan province. It is about 9,000 years old. It is known for finds linked to one of the earliest fermented drinks that science knows of. Traces of chemical compounds were found on shards of clay vessels from Jiahu. Analysis showed that the vessels had held a drink made from rice, honey and fruit. It was a mixture that fermented thanks to the sugar of honey and fruit. It is dated to roughly 7000 to 6600 BC. The find shows that people have known fermentation for a very long time and in different places. For the history of wine it is interesting as an early example of a fermented drink, although it is not classic grape wine. For true grape wine, the oldest archaeological finds point to the Near East and the South Caucasus. Other important objects were found near the settlement, such as bone flutes. Jiahu is part of the story of how fermented drinks entered human culture.