Wine older than hieroglyphics has been discovered in a Sicilian cave, the Microchemical Journal reports.
University of South Florida professor Davide Tanasi and an international team of scholars discovered traces of the 6,000-year-old wine after they ran tests on ancient pottery they found in a cave. The pottery dates back to the Copper age according to CNN. Also on the researchers’ team included experts from the University of Catania, the Institute of Chemical Methodologies (CNR), and Superintendence of Agrigento.
Scientists previously thought that making wine from grapes was not possible until the Middle Bronze Age, but now they are rethinking that theory. Tanasi told CNN that the wine remnants may have something to do with offerings to gods.
“The cave site of Monte Kronio is also a cult place used for religious practices from prehistory to Classical times,” Tanasi said. “This discovery has important archaeological and historical implications,” he added.
The researchers’ work is part of a larger project on diets and life-sustaining habits as well as resources in prehistoric Sicily and Malta.
The researchers have not yet determined whether the wine they discovered is red or white.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.