Shangshan Culture Drank Ancient Rice Beer 10,000 Years Ago – Archaeological Evidence Found In China

Conny Waters -  AncientPages.com - A collaborative study has revealed evidence of rice beer dating back approximately 10,000 years at the Shangshan site in Zhejiang Province, China. This finding offers new insights into the origins of alcoholic beverage brewing in East Asia.

The discovery underscores the link between rice fermentation at Shangshan and the region's cultural and environmental context, as well as its role in the broader development of early rice agriculture and social structures.

The research team examined twelve pottery sherds from the early phase of the Shangshan site in Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province (10,000–9000 BP). They conducted microfossil extraction and analysis on residues from both the inner surfaces of these pottery pieces and their clay composition, along with sediments from surrounding cultural layers.

"These sherds were associated with various vessel types, including those for fermentation, serving, storage, cooking, and processing," said Prof. Jiang Leping from the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology (ICRA).

"We focused on identifying phytoliths, starch granules, and fungi, providing insights into the pottery's uses and the food processing methods employed at the site," said Prof. Liu Li from Stanford University, the first author of the paper as well as a co-corresponding author.

Phytolith analysis revealed a significant presence of domesticated rice phytoliths in the residues and pottery clay. "This evidence indicates that rice was a staple plant resource for the Shangshan people," said Prof. Zhang Jianping from IGG, also a co-corresponding author of the study.

Location of the site and artifacts. (A) Location of Shangshan, Qiaotou, and Xiaohuangshan sites, along with the distribution of Shangshan culture. (B) Selected pottery fragments analyzed. (C) Corresponding complete vessels. Credit: IGG

Evidence indicates that rice husks and leaves played a crucial role in pottery production, highlighting the significance of rice in Shangshan culture. The research team discovered various starch granules within pottery residues, including those from rice, Job's tears, barnyard grass, Triticeae, acorns, and lilies. Many of these granules showed signs of enzymatic degradation and gelatinization typical of fermentation processes.

Additionally, the study revealed numerous fungal elements such as Monascus molds and yeast cells exhibiting developmental stages associated with fermentation. These fungi are linked to qu starters used in traditional brewing methods like hongqujiu (red yeast rice wine) production in China.

The team analyzed the distribution of Monascus and yeast remains across different pottery vessel types. They found higher concentrations in globular jars compared to a cooking pot and a processing basin. This pattern suggests that specific vessel types were designed for particular functions, with globular jars specifically made for alcohol fermentation.

Overall, the findings indicate that during early rice domestication phases, the Shangshan people employed diverse subsistence strategies and utilized pottery vessels—especially globular jars—to brew qu-based rice alcoholic beverages.

The emergence of this brewing technology in the early Shangshan culture was closely linked to rice domestication and the warm, humid climate of the early Holocene.

"Domesticated rice provided a stable resource for fermentation, while favorable climatic conditions supported the development of qu-based fermentation technology, which relied on the growth of filamentous fungi," said Prof. Liu.

Reconstruction of the production-consumption process involving pottery and food in early Shangshan culture. (A) Plant procurement: collecting wild plants and harvesting rice; (B) plant processing: for food and pottery making; (C) food processing: cooking food and making qu starter with molds, yeast, and rice; (D) food consumption: eating and drinking. Credit: IGG

To eliminate the possibility of soil contamination, researchers examined sediment control samples, which showed significantly fewer starch and fungal remains compared to those found in pottery residues. This evidence supports the conclusion that the residues were directly linked to fermentation activities. Additionally, contemporary fermentation experiments using rice, Monascus, and yeast confirmed these findings by displaying morphological consistency with the fungal remains identified on Shangshan pottery.

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"These alcoholic beverages likely played a pivotal role in ceremonial feasting, highlighting their ritual importance as a potential driving force behind the intensified utilization and widespread cultivation of rice in Neolithic China," said Prof. Liu.

The discovery of rice alcohol fermentation at Shangshan marks the earliest known instance of this technology in East Asia. This finding provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between rice domestication, the production of alcoholic beverages, and social development during the early Holocene period in China.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Written by Conny Waters - AncientPages.com Staff Writer