The Oldest Traces of Alcoholic Beverages in the Border Zone of the North and East European Plains

Abstract

Analysis of organic compounds preserved on pottery from the Bell Beaker community and the initial phase of the Trzciniec Cultural Sphere in the border zone of the Eastern and North European Plains was prompted by traces of alcoholic beverages found in contextually and formally analogous discoveries of more westerly provenance. Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry enabled the calculation of fatty acid ratios to distinguish plant and animal foods and the detection of food-specific biomarkers. Findings indicate that at least nine vessels once held fermented alcohol beverages resembling beer or more complex fermented mixtures, such as Nordic grog. These findings represent the earliest chemical traces of fermented alcohol beverages in this region, dating to the second half of the third millennium bc. Additionally, a sample from an Early Bronze Age context suggests the continuation of alcohol-related practices into the Trzciniec Cultural Sphere.