WARSAW, POLAND—Science in Poland reports that traces of fermented alcoholic beverages have been detected on 4,500-year-old vessels uncovered in northeastern Poland by a team of researchers led by Dariusz Manasterski of the University of Warsaw. The 13 vessels in the study were found at several different sites linked to the Bell Beaker culture. The residues in at least nine of the vessels contained metabolic products of bacteria and yeast, which indicate that fermentation had taken place, Manasterski said. Some of the vessels may have held more complex mixtures, such as Nordic grog, he added. The scientists also detected biomarkers for processing wheat and barley, fruit, and possible resins that may have been used to preserve or flavor beverages. Manasterski noted that the grain may have been imported for beverage brewing from areas where the cultivation of grain was established. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Archaeometry. For more on the history of fermentation, go to "Alcohol Through the Ages."
