Medieval History
Wine flowed freely from ancient Greece during its golden age, but new work suggests nuts and various herbs were also in demand.
With the help of DNA analysis, scientists are getting a present-day look at centuries-old trade in the Mediterranean. Such studies may help debunk some long-held assumptions, namely that the bulk of Greek commerce revolved around wine.
During the fifth through third centuries B.C., the Mediterranean and Black seas were major thoroughfares for ships loaded with thousands of curvaceous jars known as amphorae, thought from their shape to contain a drink made from fermented grape juice.
But only recently have researchers peered through the lens of 21st century genetics to identify the actual remnants of the jars? long-disappeared cargo. Analyses of DNA fragments from the interior of nine jars from Mediterranean shipwrecks now reveal various combinations of olive, ginger, walnut and herbs in the rosemary family, along with the expected grapes.
Click here to read this article from Science News
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Liquid inside an ancient wine vessel unearthed in Shaanxi province is considered to be the earliest wine in China's history, archaeologists told Xinhua Thursday. The wine vessel made of bronze was unearthed in a noble's tomb of the West Zhou Dynasty...
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Two Roman-era shipwrecks have been found in deep water off a western Greek island, challenging the conventional theory that ancient shipmasters stuck to coastal routes rather than risking the open sea, an official said Tuesday. Greece's culture...
- 1,400 Year-old Byzantine Wine Press Uncovered
One of the largest wine presses ever revealed in an archaeological excavation in the country, which was used to produce wine in the Late Byzantine period (sixth-seventh centuries AD), was recently exposed in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities...
- Digital Classicist/ics Work In Progress Seminar, Summer 2008
Digital Classicist/ICS Work in Progress Seminar, Summer 2008 Friday 15th August at 16:30, in room NG16, Senate House, Malet Street, London Ioannis Doukas (KCL) Towards a digital publication for the Homeric Catalogue of Ships ALL WELCOME In this paper...
- The Medieval Studies Workshop
Hey everyone! Today's the day! Make sure you come out for all or part of the Medieval Studies Workshop: The Medieval Mediterranean! It's sure to be a blast! The fun begins at 9 and lasts until 4 in the new Earth and Ocean Sciences Building (Bob...
Medieval History
Jars of Plenty: Ancient Greek trading vessels carried much more than wine
With the help of DNA analysis, scientists are getting a present-day look at centuries-old trade in the Mediterranean. Such studies may help debunk some long-held assumptions, namely that the bulk of Greek commerce revolved around wine.
During the fifth through third centuries B.C., the Mediterranean and Black seas were major thoroughfares for ships loaded with thousands of curvaceous jars known as amphorae, thought from their shape to contain a drink made from fermented grape juice.
But only recently have researchers peered through the lens of 21st century genetics to identify the actual remnants of the jars? long-disappeared cargo. Analyses of DNA fragments from the interior of nine jars from Mediterranean shipwrecks now reveal various combinations of olive, ginger, walnut and herbs in the rosemary family, along with the expected grapes.
Click here to read this article from Science News
- China's Earliest Wine Unearthed In Tomb
Liquid inside an ancient wine vessel unearthed in Shaanxi province is considered to be the earliest wine in China's history, archaeologists told Xinhua Thursday. The wine vessel made of bronze was unearthed in a noble's tomb of the West Zhou Dynasty...
- Two Roman Shipwrecks Found In Deep Waters Around Greece
Two Roman-era shipwrecks have been found in deep water off a western Greek island, challenging the conventional theory that ancient shipmasters stuck to coastal routes rather than risking the open sea, an official said Tuesday. Greece's culture...
- 1,400 Year-old Byzantine Wine Press Uncovered
One of the largest wine presses ever revealed in an archaeological excavation in the country, which was used to produce wine in the Late Byzantine period (sixth-seventh centuries AD), was recently exposed in excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities...
- Digital Classicist/ics Work In Progress Seminar, Summer 2008
Digital Classicist/ICS Work in Progress Seminar, Summer 2008 Friday 15th August at 16:30, in room NG16, Senate House, Malet Street, London Ioannis Doukas (KCL) Towards a digital publication for the Homeric Catalogue of Ships ALL WELCOME In this paper...
- The Medieval Studies Workshop
Hey everyone! Today's the day! Make sure you come out for all or part of the Medieval Studies Workshop: The Medieval Mediterranean! It's sure to be a blast! The fun begins at 9 and lasts until 4 in the new Earth and Ocean Sciences Building (Bob...