Possible Copper-Age Wine Found in Italy

TAMPA, FLORIDA—The International Business Times reports that traces of wine have been found in an unglazed, 5,000-year-old jar at Monte Kronio, an archaeological site located on the western coast of Sicily, by a team led by Davide Tanasi of the University of South Florida. The residue contained tartaric acid, which is a byproduct of wine fermentation, and a sodium salt connected to tartaric acid. It had been previously thought that winemaking began in Italy some 3,000 years ago, based upon the discovery of grape seeds. The researchers are now trying to determine whether the wine found in the current excavation was red or white. For more, go to “A Prehistoric Cocktail Party.”