Wine factory where ‘lost civilisation’ made vino 2,600 years ago – and spread ‘booze culture’ across the Mediterranean
AN ANCIENT wine factory has been unearthed in Lebanon.
Archaeologists think the discovery is more evidence of the extensive overseas wine trade led by a 'lost civilisation' called the Phoenicians.
The Phoenicians were seafarers who lived in the eastern Mediterranean, mostly in modern day Lebanon, from around 1550 BC to 300 BC.
The civilisation is thought to have introduced wine culture to the Mediterranean and is partially responsible for its popularity today.
Archaeologists uncovered the ancient 'wine factory' at a site called Tell el-Burak.
It consists of an ancient wine press that dates back to around the 7th century BC.
Experts think grapes would have been brought there from the local area and crushed using human feet.
The crushing would have produced grape juice and this wine press could hold around 1,200 gallons (5455 litres).
The juice, along with the grape skins and stems, would then have been collected in a large pot, where it would have fermented into wine.
The large pot, usually an amphorae, would have also been used to transport the wine.
Four mud-brick houses were also excavated at the site.
The researchers think they would have belonged to the people dedicated to making wine.
They think wine was an important trading item for the civilisation.
However, little evidence of wine making tools have been found in the land the Phoenicians once roamed.
The discovery has had a paper published about it in the journal .
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In other archaeology news, a sunken ship has been found in almost perfect condition despite spending 400 years underwater.
Ancient Egyptian coffins sealed for thousands of years have been found down a burial shaft.
And, an interactive map can show you where your home was on Earth 750 million years ago.
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