2,300-year-old grain wine identified in sealed bronze vessel

(ECNS)— Researchers have identified traces of a cereal-based alcoholic beverage dating back approximately 2,300 years in a sealed bronze vessel unearthed in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. 

The liquid is the best-preserved alcoholic sample from the Warring States period (475–221 BC) publicly reported to date. The discovery fills an important gap in the archaeological record of brewing practices in Ningxia during that era.

The vessel was excavated in 2024 from the Shanjiabao cemetery in Guyuan City, where a multidisciplinary research team later discovered that liquid had been preserved inside a garlic-shaped bronze flask. The site is the largest late Warring States burial ground associated with Qin culture to have been excavated in Ningxia.

The flask was recovered from Tomb M39, a vertical earthen-pit tomb located at the northern end of the cemetery. Its opening had been tightly sealed with layers of textile and mud, helping to preserve approximately 3.74 liters of liquid. The vessel’s distinctive garlic-shaped neck is a characteristic feature of Qin culture.

Researchers from the Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology and Northwest University conducted a comprehensive scientific analysis of the liquid. They identified 24 classes of organic compounds, including organic acids and their derivatives.

The distribution of these acids closely resembled that found in artificially aged huangjiu, a traditional Chinese fermented grain wine, indicating that the liquid had been deliberately brewed rather than formed through natural processes.

The findings provide evidence that people in the Qin state had already developed cereal fermentation and brewing techniques during the Warring States period.

The discovery also offers valuable physical evidence for research into agricultural development, dietary customs and the evolution of craftsmanship in pre-Qin China. It further highlights the country’s long history of producing grain-based alcoholic beverages.

The findings have been published in the international academic journal Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. Archaeological excavation and related research at the Shanjiabao cemetery remain ongoing.

(By Helen Mo, intern Wu Jingjing)