--- title: "Living history: In China, researchers analyzed 3.74 liters of 2,300-year-old alcohol" description: "πŸ‡¨πŸ‡³ In China, scientists analyzed 3.74 liters of 2,300-year-old alcohol. The find in a Qin-era tomb is rewriting the history of brewing: a millet-based drink with \"Qu\" starter was preserved in a bronze vessel. Inside, 8,500 yeast cells and 2,400 organic compounds were found. This proves that ancient masters possessed advanced fermentation technologies, surpassing European methods of that time. πŸΊπŸ”¬ #Archaeology #China #Science" date: 2026-08-16T15:19:12.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/in-china-researchers-analyzed-374-liters-of-2300-year-old-alcohol tags: [archaeology, china, history, science, ancient-alcohol] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Living history: In China, researchers analyzed 3.74 liters of 2,300-year-old alcohol ![Ancient Chinese vessel containing 2300-year-old alcohol studied by scientists](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/16/v-kitae-nashli-alkogol-vozrastom-2300-let/v-kitae-nashli-alkogol-vozrastom-2300-let-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - 3.74 liters of 2,300-year-old alcohol were found in China in a hermetically sealed bronze vessel. - The beverage consisted mainly of millet and was created using the "Qu" starter. - The find refutes the myth that elite alcohol in ancient China was made only from rice. - The analysis revealed more than 2,400 organic compounds and thousands of ancient yeast cells. A debate is brewing in the scientific community regarding a unique discovery made in northwestern China. An international team of archaeologists and biochemists has completed a detailed analysis of the liquid contents of an ancient bronze vessel found at the Shanjia Bao cemetery in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Inside the hermetically sealed container, scientists discovered 3.74 liters of an alcoholic beverage that has remained virtually unchanged for more than two millennia. ### A biochemical time capsule The find dates back to the Warring States period (the Qin state era, 475–221 BC). Scientists believe the vessel was left in the tomb as a ritual offering intended to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. The liquid, which has a pale bluish-green tint, managed to survive the millennia thanks to unique conditions: a tight textile stopper, external clay insulation, and the region's dry climate. The results of the study, published in the journal *Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports*, are remarkable in their detail. Inside the vessel, a true microcosm was discovered: more than 2,400 organic compounds, about 100,000 starch grains, and more than 8,500 yeast cells. The high concentration of lactic and oxalic acids became key evidence that what the researchers were looking at was a product of deep cereal fermentation, not groundwater that had seeped into the sarcophagus. ### Technological breakthrough of ancient masters An analysis of the wort composition showed that the base of the beverage (about 92%) was millet, with a small addition of wheat and barley. To initiate the fermentation process, the traditional starter "Qu" was used β€” a complex mixture of mold fungi, beneficial bacteria, and yeast. This discovery is of fundamental importance to the history of technology: it confirms that the masters of ancient China already possessed the method of simultaneous starch saccharification and fermentation. While European technologies of that period required long and separate malting, Chinese distillers created a biodynamic ecosystem capable of performing both functions at once. It is precisely this method that still forms the basis of the production of traditional yellow wine (Huangjiu). According to researchers' estimates, the drink did not have a sharp smell and represented a thick, cloudy, slightly sweet-and-sour nectar of moderate strength. ### Contradictory data During the analysis, interesting discrepancies arose between archaeological data and written sources. All ancient Chinese chronicles that have survived to this day claimed that elite alcohol during the Warring States period was produced exclusively from rice. However, the find from Shanjia Bao, where millet was packed in an expensive bronze vessel for the nobility, casts doubt on these claims. Scientists suggest that this may indicate the existence of a unique, independent recipe in northern China, in the state of Qin, which was previously considered "low-grade" but, in this context, possessed a sacred significance. Furthermore, there are discrepancies in the figures: initial reports mentioned more than 2,000 organic compounds, whereas in-depth laboratory analysis revealed more than 2,400 components, which speaks to the complexity of the chemical composition of the ancient beverage. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Where was this discovery made? **A:** The vessel was discovered at the Shanjia Bao cemetery in Guyuan city, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (northwestern China). ### Q: What was this ancient drink made of? **A:** The base of the wort (about 92%) was millet, with the addition of wheat and barley. The "Qu" starter was used for fermentation. ### Q: Why did the drink survive for 2,300 years? **A:** Thanks to the hermetic seal of the bronze vessel, the double textile stopper, clay insulation, and the dry climate of the region.