Liquid Gold! Researchers Unearth 5,000-Year-Old Wine While Exploring Egyptian Queen's Tomb

You do not have to be a connoisseur to know that the more a wine is aged, the better and more expensive it becomes. So, it is fair to say that researchers struck gold when they found jars full of wine that had been aged for almost 5,000 years, by accident.

Who Was The Occupant Of The Tomb?

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During the investigation of an Egyptian queen's tomb, researchers stumbled upon some delectable beverages intended for her journey into the afterlife.

Around 3,000 BC, Queen Meret-Neith was laid to rest in Abydos, where she held the distinction of being the sole woman with an individual tomb in Egypt's inaugural royal burial ground. Researchers also say that she was the most powerful woman of the era and might even have been the first female pharaoh of Egypt.

What Did The Researchers Find?

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In their examination of her tomb, researchers have unearthed a wealth of grave artefacts, among them jars of wine that were presumably placed in the tomb five millennia ago. Professor Christiana Kohler, an archaeologist, mentioned that several discoveries, including the wine jars, are presently undergoing analysis to unveil their historical significance.

She said, per Metro, ¡°The wine was no longer liquid and we can¡¯t tell if it was red or white.¡±

Why Was This A Whirlwind Discovery?

SWNS

Kohler added that it was not just the jars that the team found, ¡°We found a lot of organic residue, grape seeds and crystals, possibly tartar and all of this is currently being scientifically analysed.¡±

She explained why the discovery was important, ¡°It is probably the second oldest direct evidence for wine, the oldest also comes from Abydos.¡±

How Does This Challenge Previous Theories?

SWNS

Through careful digging techniques and using advanced archaeological technologies, the team successfully showed that the tombs were constructed in multiple phases spanning a considerable duration.

This revelation disputes the previously assumed theory of ritual human sacrifice during the First Dynasty's royal burial, a hypothesis commonly presumed in early research but never proved.

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