The prehistoric yeast used in Europe’s first lagers has been discovered in Ireland. However, it wasn’t identified at an archaeological site, but in soil samples taken at an Irish university campus.
Before we get to the discovery of the ancient beer yeast in Ireland, let’s first go back in time and briefly look at the ancient origins of joy-juice, for the tipples of prehistory speak of geographical and sociological conditions, but also of cultural and religious peculiarities and differences. So when did people begin boozing?
A 2014 New York Times article titled “ How Beer Gave Us Civilization ” explained that archaeologists excavating a prehistoric burial cave near Haifa, in modern-day Israel, found residue of “ 13,000-year-old wheat-and-barley-based alcohol (beer).” This suggests the making of alcoholic drinks “predated agriculture” and some researchers believe it was perhaps the desire for alcoholic drinks that resulted in agriculture and civilization.
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Chemical analysis of jars discovered at the Neolithic village Jiahu, in the Henan province of northern China, shows that around 7000 BC people were drinking fermented beverages. A 2004 paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found this drink contained “grapes, hawthorn berries, honey and rice,” and it was around this time cultures in the Middle East began making grape wine and barley beer.
Read more: Ancient Origins
