Ancient Beer Receipt Uncovered

It seems that socializing over drinks isn’t a modern invention after all. Danish researchers have found what may be the oldest beer receipt on a clay tablet, dating back 4,000 years. This intriguing find might include texts on anti-witchcraft rituals and details about ancient rulers, according to a study called Hidden Treasures: The National Museum’s Cuneiform Collection.

The discovery was made by researchers from the National Museum of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen while examining a vast range of engraved tablets from early Middle Eastern civilizations. As noted by Phys.org, many of these tablets feature inscriptions in cuneiform and other languages that have long been lost to time.

For the first time, researchers have deciphered these ancient inscriptions, revealing a record from the city of Ummah, located in what is now southern Iraq, where beer was used as payment. This detail was reported by The Daily Mail.

“Some of the documents we’ve studied mention beer as payment for workers,” Dr. Troels Arbor from the University of Copenhagen explained. “So, they’re essentially administrative records or receipts.”

Interestingly, the beer in question was delivered by an individual named “Ayari” and included 16 liters of what was termed “luxury beer” and 55 liters of “regular beer.” It’s intriguing to think of this as part of an old-fashioned office party, isn’t it?

While it might seem odd to think of beer at such an early point in history, Arbor suggests that it was likely a nutritious staple for early urban dwellers, perhaps even a vital component of their diets.

Tate Paulette, an assistant professor of history at North Carolina State University, noted that beer was the beverage of choice in Mesopotamia. He pointed out that drinking beer was practically an intrinsic part of the Mesopotamian identity.

However, this ancient beer wasn’t quite like today’s craft brews. It was not made with hops but was instead brewed from fermented bread, honey, and dates, creating a milky, porridge-like drink that was sipped through straws and offered a tangy taste. The alcohol content was much lower, generally between 3.5 and 6.5 percent.

For millennia, transactions and significant information were recorded on stone tablets in the Mesopotamian civilization, setting the groundwork for a complex bureaucratic system that contributed to the advancement of society. Arbor noted, “We needed to document this emerging society, and it makes sense that among those tablets would be something as commonplace as a beer receipt.”

Yet, this wasn’t the only significant discovery made. Arbor also mentioned other tablets, one of which contained what appears to be an “anti-witchcraft ritual.” This involved exorcists who would burn wax and clay figurines while chanting for an entire night—a practice considered crucial to Assyrian kingship for averting potential misfortunes, including political instability.

In addition, the collection includes lists of both actual and legendary kings, hinting at the historic existence of figures like Gilgamesh.