A 2,000-year-old Roman burial urn discovered during renovations in southern Spain contains the oldest wine ever found in liquid form.
The contents of the urn, found in 2019, were analyzed by a team of scientists from the University of Córdoba in a study published on Monday (17).
The study’s lead author, José Rafael Ruiz Arrebola, professor of organic chemistry at the university, told CNN that the urn contained cremated remains, burnt ivory believed to come from a funeral pyre, and about 4.5 liters of reddish liquid.
“When the archaeologists opened the urn, we almost froze,” he said. “It was very surprising.”
The team then carried out a chemical analysis of the liquid and discovered that it was wine.
This was a big surprise, because wine normally evaporates quickly and is chemically unstable, said Ruiz Arrebola.
“That means it’s almost impossible to find what we found,” he said, explaining that the wine was preserved by an airtight seal that prevented it from evaporating, but it’s unclear how the seal formed.
Other chemical analyzes allowed the team to identify the liquid as white wine, as it did not contain syringic acid, a substance present only in red wines, said Ruiz Arrebola. The content also has a composition of mineral salts similar to that of the fine wines currently produced in the region, he added.
“It’s something unique,” said Ruiz Arrebola. “We were lucky enough to find it and analyze it – it’s something you only see once in a lifetime.”
Researchers believe their discovery dethrones the current record holder for oldest liquid wine, the Speyer wine bottle found in Germany, which is thought to be around 1,700 years old. However, the age of the Speyer bottle has not been confirmed by chemical analysis.
The container was one of six burial urns containing human remains found in the mausoleum.
The discovery of a gold ring and other valuable artifacts suggests it was built by a family of considerable wealth, Ruiz Arrebola said.
However, little else is known about their lives because cremation would have destroyed any DNA, he explained, adding that this means it is impossible to say whether the six people were related.
Ruiz Arrebola now plans to try to figure out which modern local wine it most resembles, although there are hundreds to sift through.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
