Ancient wine unearthed in Spain sheds light on first-century funerary practices

Independent features that a remarkable discovery in a Roman tomb in Spain has unveiled the world’s oldest wine, which intriguingly contained the cremated remains of a man.

Recent findings in a Roman tomb in Spain have revealed the world's oldest wine, which was discovered alongside a man's cremated remains, offering insights into first-century burial customs in the area.

Archaeologists announced earlier this year that a peculiar liquid found in a 2,000-year-old glass urn of Andalusian origin turned out to be the oldest wine ever identified. The urn, unearthed in 2019 in a tomb located in Carmona, contained the cremated bones of a man submerged in the liquid dating back to the first century AD. 

This ancient wine predates the well-known Speyer wine bottle discovered in 1867, which was dated to the fourth century AD. Carmona's municipal archaeologist, Juan Manuel Román, expressed surprise at the preservation of liquid in one of the funerary urns. To confirm the substance was wine, scientists conducted a series of chemical tests to evaluate its pH, organic matter, and salt levels. They compared the results to those of contemporary wines from Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, and Sanlúcar.

The identification of polyphenols—compounds found in all wines—was crucial in confirming that the liquid was indeed wine. Scientists identified seven specific polyphenol compounds in the ancient wine that are also found in contemporary wines from Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, and Sanlúcar. However, pinpointing the origin of this ancient wine has proven difficult due to a lack of samples from that era for comparison. The presence of cremated bones provides valuable insights into the funerary practices of the region during Roman times. 

The skeletal remains, discovered alongside a gold ring, belonged to a man, which archaeologists noted was significant. In ancient Rome, women were forbidden from drinking wine, as it was considered a "man's drink." This reflects the gender distinctions within Roman funerary customs. Another urn from the same tomb contained the remains of a woman, but notably no wine. Instead, it held three amber jewels, a bottle of patchouli-scented perfume, and fragments of silk fabrics. Researchers explained that these items, including the wine and perfume, were placed in the tomb as part of a funerary tradition based on the belief that they would aid the deceased in their journey to the afterlife.

By Naila Huseynova