Tuesday, January 31, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
NEWSLETTER
ՀԱՅ
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
Asbarez.com
ՀԱՅ
No Result
View All Result

World's Oldest Winery Found in Armenian Cave

by Asbarez Staff
January 10, 2011
in Armenia, Featured Story, News, Top Stories
10
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


WASHINGTON — The earliest known winery, approximately 6,000 years old according to researchers, has been uncovered in a cave in the mountains of Armenia.
A vat to press the grapes, fermentation jars and even a cup and drinking bowl dating to about 6,000 years ago were discovered in the cave complex by an international team of researchers.
While older evidence of wine drinking has been found, this is the earliest example of complete wine production, according to Gregory Areshian of the University of California, Los Angeles, co-director of the excavation.
The findings, announced Tuesday by the National Geographic Society, are published in the online edition of the Journal of Archaeological Science.
“The evidence argues convincingly for a wine-making facility,” said Patrick McGovern, scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia, who was not part of the research team.
Such large scale wine production implies that the Eurasian grape had already been domesticated, said McGovern, author of “Uncorking the Past: The Quest for Wine, Beer, and Other Alcoholic Beverages.”
The same Armenian area was the site of the discovery of the oldest known leather shoe, dated about 5,500 years ago. That discovery at the area known as Areni-1 was reported last summer.
According to the archeologists, inside the cave was a shallow basin about 3-feet across that was positioned to drain into a deep vat.
The basin could have served as a wine press where people stomped the grapes with their feet, a method Areshian noted was traditional for centuries.
They also found grape seeds, remains of pressed grapes and dozens of dried vines. The seeds were from the same type of grapes — Vitis vinifera vinifera — still used to make wine.
The earliest comparable remains were found in the tomb of the ancient Egyptian king Scorpion I, dating to around 5,100 years ago.
Because the wine-making facility was found surrounded by graves, the researchers suggest the wine may have been intended for ceremonial use.
That made sense to McGovern, who noted that wine was the main beverage at funeral feasts and later used for tomb offerings.
Indeed, he said: “Even in lowland regions like ancient Egypt where beer reigned supreme, special wines from the Nile Delta were required as funerary offerings and huge quantities of wine were consumed at major royal and religious festivals.”
McGovern noted that similar vats for treading on grapes and jars for storage have been found around the Mediterranean area.
In his books, McGovern has suggested that a “wine culture,” including the domestication of the Eurasian grape, was first consolidated in the mountainous regions around Armenia before moving to the south.

Asbarez Staff

Asbarez Staff

Next Post

Orange County Armenian Professional Society to Honor Richard Hovannisian, Serge Tomassian

Comments 10

  1. Arthur Armin says:
    12 years ago

    Thanks to Gregory Areshian. He knoes what he is doing.

    Reply
  2. Arthur Armin says:
    12 years ago

    Thanks to Gregory Areshian. He knows what he is doing. After an ancient Armenian shoe, 6,000 years old Winery is the second worldwide shot.

    Reply
  3. hagop says:
    12 years ago

    Great news! Hope that the artifacts are safeguarded and not stolen and sold by the oligarchs!

    Reply
  4. suren2 misinformed says:
    12 years ago

    http://www.ksee24.com/news/video/Winery-113324739.html

    Reply
  5. Armenian says:
    12 years ago

    In another related news: Turkey today claims it found the oldest winery which it estimates to be 7000 years old! Surprisingly, Azerbaijani news reports that its archeologists found a winery in Azerbaijan which they say is 10,000 years old! 🙂

    Reply
    • razmig says:
      12 years ago

      I am missing your point here… What is your point?

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recommended

St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Carrollton, Texas Wins US Building of the Year 2022

St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Carrollton, Texas Wins US Building of the Year 2022

1 hour ago
After Urging ‘Restraint,’ Pashinyan Calls for International Mission to Lachin

International Court of Justice is Last Hope for Artsakh Armenians, Yerevan Says

21 hours ago

Connect with us

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Top Stories
  • Community
  • Arts & Culture
    • Art
    • Books
    • Music
    • Theatre
    • Critics’ Forum
  • Op-Ed
    • Editorial
    • Opinon
    • Letters
  • Columns
    • By Any Means
    • My Turn
    • Three Apples
    • Community Links
    • Critics’ Forum
    • My Name is Armen
    • Living in Armenia
  • Videos
  • Sports

© 2021 Asbarez | All Rights Reserved | Powered By MSDN Solutions Inc.