Archaeologists Discover Remnants Of A 5000 Year Old Pub In Iraq… Guess What They Were Drinking

By Syakir Roslan  •  20 Feb 2023 in News

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Since I was little I’ve always been fascinated with archeology. The fact that we can learn so much about ancient civilisations from a team of brilliant minds digging through dirt never ceases to amaze me.

Just recently, a group of US and Italian archaeologists based in southern Iraq unearthed what they believe to be the remnants of an ancient tavern dating back to nearly 5000 years ago!

The discovery was made while they were excavating the ruins of Lagash, which was an ancient city-state located northwest of the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

Lagash is also situated near the modern-day Iraqi city of Nasiriyah, which is known to be one of the first urban centres of Sumerian (ancient Iraqi) civilisation.

According to FMT, among the various items uncovered were “remains of a primitive refrigeration system, a large oven, benches for diners and around 150 serving bowls.”

Additionally, bones of fish and other animals were also found in the bowls. Finding old bones and bowls seem pretty commonplace in the field of archeology but discovering evidence of ancient beer consumption definitely isn’t!

The team of archaeologists refer to the site as a ‘tavern’ since they believe it was once used as a public space where everyday people (commoners) would gather to eat and drink lots of beer as their evidence suggests.

Who would’ve thought that 5000 years ago people were getting faded off brewskis? Beer was also one of the most common drinks in ancient Sumeria as it was more readily available than water.

Director of the Lagash Archaeological Project, Holly Pittmann, describes how the team had found a cuneiform tablet with an ancient beer recipe etched onto it while excavating a temple within the area.

These recent discoveries have shed new light on the social structure of humanity’s first cities and the team hopes to learn more about the various occupations of non-elite people who frequented the tavern.

Moreover, the team is currently conducting a detailed analysis of the various samples taken during their excavations to learn more about the early period of the emergence of cities.

In closing, Pittman stated that “Most of the work done at the other sites focuses on kings and priests. And that is all very important but the regular people are also important”. I’ll cheers to that statement 🍻