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Image Credit: Journal of Archaeological Science Reports 2025
Bronze Age Pottery Reveals Ancient Chinese Method for Brewing Red Rice Wine
Archaeologists have uncovered new evidence showing how red rice wine was produced and ritually consumed in Bronze Age China, following the analysis of pottery vessels excavated in northwest China.
The discovery comes from a burial site associated with the Mogou culture in Gansu province, dating to the second millennium BC. Scientific examination of pottery residues has revealed clear traces of alcoholic fermentation, providing rare physical evidence of ceremonial rice wine production during this period.
The study shows that the Mogou people used an early fermentation technique known as qu, a method that originated in Neolithic eastern China and later spread westward to the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. This technique relied on a fermentation starter made from grains colonized by a mix of molds, yeasts, and bacteria, including Aspergillus and Monascus fungi.
Residue analysis from more than 40 ceramic vessels identified starches from rice, millet, Job’s tears, buckwheat, and cereal crops such as barley and wheat. Microscopic signs of enzymatic activity confirmed that these plants had undergone fermentation, consistent with the qu-based brewing process.
The vessels were found in burial contexts dated between approximately 1700 and 1100 BC, spanning two cultural phases. Some were placed in side chambers within tomb walls, positioned above the head of the deceased, indicating their use in funerary rituals rather than everyday consumption.
The findings demonstrate that fermented cereal-based beverages played an important role in Mogou mortuary practices and highlight the technological knowledge involved in early alcohol production. Together, the results expand understanding of Bronze Age foodways and ritual traditions in northwestern China.
Published on: 26-12-2025
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: The Independent