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Egypt
Earliest wine
In Egypt, there's the earliest known physical evidence of wine, which
dates back to 5000 BC. The drawing
and painting inside the Egyptian tombs clearly displayed their knowledge
of wine making, especially the painting inside the Theban tomb, which depicts the whole process
of wine making, from gathering grapes to storing wines in large
jars .
World's oldest wine jar
The world’s earliest known wine jar, more than 7000 years old, is now
being displayed in the Mesopotamian gallery at University
of Pennsylvania Museum. Dr. McGovern, an archaeochemist, discovered
reddish colour residue in an ancient jar. With the aid of modern
technology, Dr. McGovern and his team determined the chemical composition
of the residue, is indeed grapes'. More about the discovery of the
ancient wine jar can be found here.
Wine as medicine
Wine in ancient Egypt was not only used in a ceremonial event, it was
also found to be a form of medication. Around 1500 BC, about 15 percent
of their doctor's prescription included beer or wine. Most likely,
wine was used as a pain reliever.
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