Archaeologists unearth world's oldest known beer factory in Egypt, see pictures

A team of American and Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed what could be the world’s oldest known beer factory in Egypt, a top antiquities official said on February 14. The ancient brewery was found in Abydos, an ancient burial ground located in the desert west of the Nile River. Abydos is the burial site of the civilizations’ earliest kings and is believed to have played an important role in the Egyptians’ religious lives.

As a part of their excavation, the archaeologists found eight huge units-each is 20 meters (about 65 feet) long and 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) wide. Each unit includes some 40 pottery basins in two rows, which is believed to have been used to heat up a mixture of grains and water to produce beer. Speaking to Associated Press, Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, further revealed that the factory dated back to the reign of King Narmer.

In the early 1900s, British scientists had touted the existence of this wine factory but were unable to locate it. But after tenacious tries, the mission co-chaired by Dr Matthew Adams of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, and Deborah Vischak, assistant professor of ancient Egyptian art history and archaeology at Princeton University was finally able to discover it. Speaking to AP, Adams stated that factory was apparently built in this area to provide royal rituals with beer, given that archaeologists found pieces of evidence showing the use of beer in sacrificial rites of ancient Egyptians.

Read: Egypt Announces 'major Discoveries' As Archaeologists Unearth Over 50 Sarcophagi

Read: IS Militants Kill 6 Bedouins In Egypt's Sinai 

 

Read: Egypt Announces 'major Discoveries' As Archaeologists Unearth Over 50 Sarcophagi

Read: Egypt Showcases 59 Ancient Coffins Discovered Near Saqqara Pyramids In Cairo

Major discoveries 

Last month, archaeologists in Egypt announced that they have discovered an ancient funerary temple along with other items in Saqqara Necropolis, located south of capital Cairo. Saqqara Necropolis, which served as a burial ground in ancient Egypt has led to multiple discoveries including coloured coffins and other wooden statues in the past. Adding to the that is the latest discovery which also includes over 50 sarcophagi, an ornate coffin used by ancient Egyptians to bury their dead.

(All image credits: facebook.com/moantiquities)