An unexpected bonus ingredient found in the world’s oldest wine is a man’s ashes

Juan Manuel Román / Journal of Archaeological Science

At a Roman burial site in Spain, the oldest wine in history was found, and one thing is certain: it had body.

According to fresh investigation, the wine has been kept in an old mausoleum in Carmona, a tiny town in the southern region of Andalusia, for about 2,000 years along with the cremated ashes of a man and a gold ring.

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The University of Córdoba academics who headed the research team conducted the study, which was published this week in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

One of the report’s authors, Juan Manuel Román, stated in a university news release, “When we initially noticed that one of the funeral urns had liquid retained in it, we were shocked.” The speaker stated that the tomb’s “Outstanding conservation circumstances included complete integrity and excellent sealing,” which contributed to the wine’s ability to retain its natural state even after centuries.

Despite the liquid’s crimson color, a team’s chemical investigation revealed that “There was white wine in the urn,” according to the newspaper.

The research stated that “The reddish liquid’s mineral character is similar to modern Jerez sherry wines” a city located about 75 miles south of Carmona, despite the fact that the team was unable to determine the wine’s provenance.

According to the article, the oldest wine kept in a liquid condition was previously believed to be found in a Speyer wine bottle, which was discovered in a Roman tomb close to the German town of Speyer and dates between A.D. 325 and 350. Chemical analysis has never verified this assumption,” it continued.

Since the first century or so, the Spanish urn has been kept locked inside the tomb.

It was rediscovered in 2019 after a family discovered an underground tomb while renovating their house, and it gained notoriety the previous year when the team revealed that a crystal bottle discovered in one of the urns held a perfume with a 2,000-year-old aroma of patchouli.

According to a recent University of Córdoba press release, the tomb containing the wine was “actually a circular mausoleum, most likely the home of a prosperous family” Six of the eight burial niches that it had were filled with urns. “Hispanae” and “Senicio” were the names of the departed etched on two.

The intention was for the wine, rings, perfume, and other items to travel with the deceased into the afterlife. According to the university’s news release, “Like in other communities, death held particular significance in ancient Rome, and people desired to be remembered to somehow prolong their lives.”

It went on, “It is not a coincidence that the man’s skeletal remains were submerged in the wine.” It was long forbidden for women to consume wine in ancient Rome. It was a beverage for men.

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