Drink and be merry! Infrared spectroscopy and ancient Near Eastern wine

Abstract

The first published chemical evidence for wine from the ancient Middle East is presented here. Infrared spectroscopic analyses of deposits inside pre-Bronze Age jars from Godin Tepe, Iran, and inside a Byzantine amphora from Gebel Adda, Egypt, revealed that the deposits were composed largely of tartaric acid, a principal component of grapes. The data corroborate the use of the Egyptian amphora in transporting wine, according to ancient inscriptions on the sides of such vessels. The very close similarity of the Godin Tepe spectra to that of the Egyptian amphora and that of L-(+)-tartaric acid indicates that the Godin Tepe jars also were used in processing and storing wine. Moreover, the Godin jars were stoppered and stored on their sides, evidently to inhibit the wine from converting to vinegar. In addition to being the earliest occurrence of the beverage from anywhere in the world, the Godin Tepe finding has important implications for the development of complex societies, trade, and viticulture in the ancient Middle East.