Wine's History:
During the transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic eras (also known as Mesolithic) the conditions for wine making became available. In determining this, historians reflect on the transition of man being a hunter to man being a farmer. Our ancestors realized they could plant seeds, grow grains and fruits, and domesticate animals (Fiero, 2006). This ability to grow food and develop domesticated animals, transitioned man into a new life where they could take root and build communities. The Neolithic period (8000-4000 B.C.E.) was born.
Most importantly, Neolithic communities of the ancient Near East and Egypt were permanent, year-round settlements made possible by the ability to domesticate plants and animals (www.penn.meuseum).
Due to the settling ability of the Neolithic people, food-producing processes came to be. Neolithic people are credited for some of the first food processing techniques like fermentation, soaking, heating, and spicing (www.penn.meuseum).
Proof of Early Wine
Excavations in Iran at the site Hajji Firuz Tepe (northern Zagros Mountains near the modern city of Urmia) six bottles were found in what appears to be a kitchen of a Neolithic home. One of the bottles contained approximately 2.5 gallons of wine (www.penn.meuseum). After dating research on one of the pots also found in this kitchen, the wine bottle (actually it was a ceramic jar) was dated to be around 7,000 – 7,400 years old (Wilford, 1996). That’s a serious vintage!
Well, as you can read, wine has a long history dating back to Neolithic times.
A big shout out goes to Professor Dr. Mary Voigt! She’s the archeologist who found the Neolithic vino. Thank you, Dr. Voigt, for your diligent work in excavating what is now the oldest bottle of wine on record!
Sources:
Fiero, G. (2006). The Human Tradition. Bk 1. McGraw-Hill Companies. NY:NY.
http://www.penn.museum/sites/wine/wineneolithic.html
Wilford, J. (1996). For Wine, 5,000 B.C. Was Quite a Year. July 10, 2011. Obtained from www.nytimes.com.
Most importantly, Neolithic communities of the ancient Near East and Egypt were permanent, year-round settlements made possible by the ability to domesticate plants and animals (www.penn.meuseum).
Due to the settling ability of the Neolithic people, food-producing processes came to be. Neolithic people are credited for some of the first food processing techniques like fermentation, soaking, heating, and spicing (www.penn.meuseum).
Proof of Early Wine
Excavations in Iran at the site Hajji Firuz Tepe (northern Zagros Mountains near the modern city of Urmia) six bottles were found in what appears to be a kitchen of a Neolithic home. One of the bottles contained approximately 2.5 gallons of wine (www.penn.meuseum). After dating research on one of the pots also found in this kitchen, the wine bottle (actually it was a ceramic jar) was dated to be around 7,000 – 7,400 years old (Wilford, 1996). That’s a serious vintage!
Well, as you can read, wine has a long history dating back to Neolithic times.
A big shout out goes to Professor Dr. Mary Voigt! She’s the archeologist who found the Neolithic vino. Thank you, Dr. Voigt, for your diligent work in excavating what is now the oldest bottle of wine on record!
Sources:
Fiero, G. (2006). The Human Tradition. Bk 1. McGraw-Hill Companies. NY:NY.
http://www.penn.museum/sites/wine/wineneolithic.html
Wilford, J. (1996). For Wine, 5,000 B.C. Was Quite a Year. July 10, 2011. Obtained from www.nytimes.com.