Ancient Beer and the Origins of a Social Tradition
There’s something uniquely satisfying about having a drink to celebrate a payday, and it turns out this tradition has deep historical roots. Scientists have uncovered one of the earliest known records of beer transactions in the National Museum of Denmark. These ancient tablets, which have been part of the museum’s collection for over a century, were inscribed with languages that are now extinct. For the first time, experts have deciphered these texts, revealing insights into magic, kings, and alcohol.
One particular tablet, dating back 4,000 years, is a record of beer being used as a form of payment in the ancient city of Umma, located in what is now southern Iraq. It details the distribution of beer among workers, including 16 litres of ‘high quality beer’ and 55 litres of ‘ordinary beer’ supplied by someone named ‘Ayalli’.
Dr Troels Arbøll from the University of Copenhagen explained that these documents are administrative records or receipts. He noted that beer was likely considered an essential part of daily life for early urban populations due to its nutritional value.
Around 5,200 years ago, people in ancient cultures in Iraq and Syria began using clay tablets to record information. This system of communication played a crucial role in the development of complex societies with advanced administrative systems. Dr Arbøll highlighted that many of the cuneiform tablets we have today show evidence of a highly developed bureaucracy. The need to track the growth of these societies led to the creation of numerous tablets containing practical information such as accounts, lists of goods, and personnel.
What Did Ancient Beer Taste Like?
Around 4,000 years ago, beer would have had a distinct taste—sour, tangy, flat, and fruity, with a thick, milky texture and notes of sediment or clay. Unlike modern beer, it was often brewed using fermented bread and sometimes sweetened with honey or dates. The alcohol content was relatively low, typically between 3.5 to 6.5 per cent. To avoid drinking grain remnants, people would sip it through long straws.
Tate Paulette, an assistant professor of history at North Carolina State University, has written extensively on drinking in Mesopotamia, the historical region encompassing modern-day Iraq and Syria. He noted that beer was the beverage of choice in Mesopotamia, and to be a Mesopotamian was to drink beer. His research shows that drinking beer could lead to confusion, loss of control, and poor judgment. It also had unwanted physical effects, such as feeling terrible the next morning and difficulty performing sexually.
New Research and Discoveries
As part of their new research, scientists from the University of Copenhagen analyzed, identified, and digitized as many ancient tablets as they could find. Their work revealed a wide variety of texts, ranging from accounts and letters to medical treatments and magical incantations. One text particularly caught their attention, originating from the Syrian city of Hama and likely housed in a large temple library.
“One of the clay tablets turned out to contain a so-called anti-witchcraft ritual,” Dr Arbøll said. “This was of enormous importance to the royal authority in Assyria because it had the remarkable ability to ward off misfortunes—such as political instability—that might befall a king.” The ritual involved burning small figures made of wax and clay while an exorcist recited fixed incantations.
Among the collection, researchers also discovered a copy of a famous regnal list that describes both mythical and historical kings. These findings provide valuable insight into the cultural and religious practices of ancient civilizations.
