Sensational find in Egypt: 5,000-year-old wine amphoras unearthed

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The royal tomb of Meret-Neith in Egypt is the focus of new archaeological discoveries. A German-Austrian research team led by archaeologist Christiana Köhler of the University of Vienna has begun to uncover the secrets of this influential queen from the First Dynasty, around 3000 BC.

According to the University of Vienna, Queen Meret-Neith was an extraordinary personality. His monumental tomb in Egypt’s first royal cemetery at Abydos testifies to his extraordinary position of power. Recent findings lead researchers to believe that Queen Meret-Neith may have been the first female pharaoh in ancient Egypt, long before the 18th Dynasty Queen Hatshepsut.

Excavations have revealed impressive evidence of Queen Meret-Neith’s importance, including hundreds of well-preserved clay amphorae. Some were even originally sealed and therefore contained traces of wine dating back 5,000 years. The first evidence of the Egyptian wine tradition can be found in numerous burial chambers decorated with paintings of wine motifs and information on winemaking.

Today, clay amphorae are increasingly used in wine production. For example, in Valais (Albert Mathier & Fils), in Bordeaux (Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion) or in Gigondas (Domaine Santa Duc). Like wood, porous clay is not completely airtight. This allows for a small but continuous addition of oxygen.

Source : Blick