Ancient medicines were alcoholic

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Ancient medicines were alcoholic

BBC, 14 April 2009

 

A team of researchers in the US has discovered traces of a medicinal

alcoholic drink in bottles that are more than 5,000 years old. The

scientists extracted wine compounds and plant-derived ingredients from a

jar taken from the tomb of one of the first pharaohs of Egypt, Scorpion

I. This is the earliest sample of a human-made medicine. The researchers

report their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy

of Sciences. Patrick McGovern, professor of anthropology at the

University of Pennsylvania, led the research. The vessels that he and

his team tested came from excavated tombs in southern Egypt - the

earliest of which dates from 3150BC.

 

" This is the earliest Egyptian vessel ever found to have wine in it, "

Professor McGovern told BBC News. " It shows that, by trial and error,

humans were discovering remedies over 5,000 years ago, and that

alcoholic beverages were a key part of the discovery process. "

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7992575.stm