The vessel was transferred to the Museum of winemaking in the village of Xinghuatsun, which is considered one of the most ancient places of baijiu production in China, the newspaper "Zhongguo Zhibao" reports.Archaeologists have discovered on the territory of the village of Xinghuatsun (Shanxi Province, Northern China) a vessel for alcohol, the age of which is more than 5 thousand years. This was reported on Friday by the newspaper "Zhongguo Zhibao".
According to the publication, excavations in the village, on the territory of which a large center for the production of baijiu (traditional strong alcoholic beverage) is currently located, have been conducted since 1982.
The find is a clay vessel with a pointed bottom, the embossed finish of which, according to researchers, bears the features of the archaeological culture of Yangshao, which existed in the middle reaches of the Yellow River from 5 thousand to 7 thousand years ago. Some archaeologists believed that water could be stored in the vessel. However, more thorough studies have shown that only alcohol could be in such a container, the publication points out. In similar vessels, the wine underwent a fermentation process in the Middle East, Ancient Greece and Egypt.
In addition, the vessel is similar in shape to the original spelling of the hieroglyph "chiu", which means "alcohol". Sediment was also found at the bottom of the vessel, which turned out to be the product of fermentation of cereals. As a result, it was recognized that this is the oldest container for storing alcohol and, in fact, the oldest alcohol found on the territory of modern China.
As the publication notes, the find gives the right to believe that the history of the manufacture of alcoholic beverages in China has about 6 thousand years. It is also indicated that the vessel was transferred to the wine museum in the village of Xinghuatsun, which is considered one of the most ancient places of baijiu production in China. The history of making this strong drink there dates back to the times of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
This is not the first such find in China. For example, in October last year, archaeologists discovered a vessel with an alcoholic drink, the age of which is estimated at more than 5 thousand years, near the village of Yanshao in Henan province. In March 2018, on the territory of Shaanxi Province (Northwest China) a bronze vessel filled with liquor was found.
