Early Man’s Taste For Beer

Frank Thadeusz writing for Der Spiegel comments that traces of alcohol at prehistoric sites suggest that our Neolithic ancestors’ thirst for a beer-like drink may have created the desire to grow crops.

History books tell us our Neolithic ancestors’ move away from being hunter, gatherers to farmers was one huge step for mankind; growing crops instead of relying on killing animals for their sustenance and survival. But could it be it was a love of beer that drove them to it?

It is commonly believed that crops were first-of-all used for making food and then came the realization that they could be used to make alcohol. But now we have U.S. archaeologist Patrick McGovern suggesting it was the desire for an alcoholic brew which was the incentive to start growing crops. McGovern says, "Available evidence suggests that our ancestors in Asia, Mexico, and Africa cultivated wheat, rice, corn, barley, and millet primarily for the purpose of producing alcoholic beverages.” Frank Thadeusz writes, ‘Archaeologists have long pondered the question of which came first, bread or beer.

McGovern surmises that these prehistoric humans didn't initially have the ability to master the very complicated process of brewing beer. However, they were even more incapable of baking bread, for which wild grains are extremely unsuitable. They would have had first to separate the tiny grains from the chaff, with a yield hardly worth the great effort.’ Patrick McGovern provides evidence to support his theory by recording that 9,000 years ago, long before the invention of the wheel, Neolithic men living in Jiahu, China, created a brew with an alcoholic content of 10%. And at Iran’s prehistoric settlement called Godin Tepe, Patrick McGovern found vessels containing the first evidence of prehistoric beer.

Also in Iran at the excavation site of Hajji Firuz Tepe in the Zagros Mountains, McGovern found something other than traces of beer; a hybrid swill -- half fruit wine and half mead. He also found prehistoric wine racks used for storing their wine-like concoction. As to the actual brew-making process, McGovern refers to the ancient farmers in Godin Tepe who harvested barley then mashed it using basalt stone and then, as reported by Frank Thadeusez, ‘…brewed the ground grain into a considerable range of varieties, enjoying a sweet, caramel-flavored dark beer, an amber-hued lager-like concoction, and other pleasant-tasting beverages.’ For most of us, it’s merely an academic matter as to which came first, beer or bread. But McGovern’s discoveries do suggest we should never assume that our history books always get it right. Especially when it comes to the chronology of historic events.

By Stan

Et si l'homme était devenu cultivateur pour faire de la bière… Des nouvelles découvertes préhistoriques semblent indiquer que l'homme serait devenu agriculteur non pas pour se nourrir mieux, mais pour produire de la bière. (A écouter en V.O. (cliquez sur le fichier MP3) à la fin de l'article. A noter également qu’en passant votre souris sur certains mots, ces derniers apparaissent traduits en surimpression.

Article publié en partenariat avec MyCow.eu