An archaeological toast in Israel
Imagine a group of hunters-gatherers 13,000 years ago, in a cave near Haifa, Israel, preparing a special concoction to honor their ancestors. A team from Stanford University has uncovered, in fact, the oldest known beer’s elaboration waste, which can be a very, very old history sip.
Natufianos: Cerveceros Masters from another era
These ancient beer manufacturers, belonging to the natural people, were much more than hunters: they seemed to understand that a good drink could unite the community. According to Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, this beer would not only have marked its way of life, but could have played a crucial role in the development of agriculture itself.
Parties and ceremonies: The true engine of agriculture?
The researchers found in the Raqefet cave, a site that served as a Natufiano cemetery, evidence of a beer production that precedes cereal cultivation in the region. Li Liu, one of the researchers, highlighted the surprise of his discovery. “We did not expect to find alcohol in the mortars, our goal was to investigate the vegetable foods consumed. Surprise was a euphemism!”
From starch to the party: how they made their beer
In an intriguing turn, Natouhfian beer was anything but the one we know today. Jiajing Wang, co -author of the study, points out that this concoction probably consisted of oatmeal gachas and other ingredients. The elaboration process seemed to be a real art: grain germination, malt creation, cooking and fermentation, a tour that would flush any contemporary brewer teacher.
Recreating tradition
In order to validate their findings, the researchers launched themselves to the adventure of recreating each step of the beer process. In doing so, they noticed that changes in starch granules during the elaboration coincided with the waste found in the cave. This alignment not only confirmed their theory, but allowed them to glimpse a possible emotional and cultural connection between the Natofians and their practices.
Beer: A link between lives and dead
This discovery changes expectations about hunter-gatherer communities. Beer, far from being a mere product of agricultural surpluses, seems to have had a central role in ceremonies and rituals, acting as a social bond that connected the living with their ancestors. Wang concludes that this finding is not only a look at the past, but a celebration of human relations that were forged throughout history.
