When Spanish archaeologists unearthed a Roman mausoleum in Carmona, southern Spain, they expected to find human remains and perhaps some artifacts. Turns out, they got much more than they bargained for. Inside the tomb, they found the remains of six individuals, including those inside a 2,000-year-old funeral ash urn, immersed inside a reddish liquid. To everyone’s surprise, the liquid turned out to be wine. It was a white wine, which changed color due to the influence of time and other substances inside the tomb.

Although molecular traces of ancient wines have been found staining pottery walls, this is the oldest wine in a liquid state identified thus far, claim archaeologists at the University of Cordoba. Previously, the earliest surviving wine was from fourth-century AD wine bottles found in Speyer, Germany in 1867.

Ancient Roman Wine

Discovered in 2019, the tomb housed six 1st-century AD Romans: Hispana, Senicio, and four others whose names remain unknown (two men and two women). The archaeologists were stunned by the exceptionally well-preserved mausoleum that was fully intact. The tomb had remained completely sealed since the remains were placed inside. This ultimately preserved the liquid wine, ruling out other causes for the presence of the liquid, such as floods, leaks, or condensation.

“At first we were very surprised that liquid was preserved in one of the funerary urns,” explains the City of Carmona’s municipal archaeologist Juan Manuel Román.

To determine the nature of the liquid, researchers from the University of Cordoba employed advanced chemical analysis techniques. They examined its pH, mineral salts, and chemical compounds, comparing it to modern wines from Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, and Sanlúcar. Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), the researchers identified mineral salts commonly found in wine. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS) allowed them to detect and quantify polyphenols, which are compounds found in all wine.

Seven specific polyphenols were detected, including quercetin and apigenin, confirming the liquid is 100% wine. The absence of syringic acid suggests this was initially white wine, although degradation over time may also account for this.

Determining the wine’s geographical origin was difficult due to the lack of contemporary samples. However, mineral salts in the liquid matched those in modern white wines from the former Roman province of Betis, especially Montilla-Moriles wines.

Romans loved their wines, even in the afterlife

In Roman times, wine was not only a beverage but also held cultural and religious significance, often used in burial rituals to honor the deceased. The inclusion of wine in tombs was meant to accompany the dead on their journey to the afterlife.

The Baetic region, where the urn was found, was renowned for its wine production. Roman authors like Columella documented the winemaking techniques of the time, some of which are comparable to modern methods used in the Jerez region of Spain.

An interesting discovery is that finding the man’s remains in wine highlights the gender divisions in ancient Roman society. Women were prohibited from drinking wine, among other restrictions such as being barred from some sacred religious rituals and sacrifices. Wine in ancient Rome was considered a man’s drink. A husband who would find his wife drinking had every right to divorce or even kill her.

Despite these restrictions, archaeological evidence suggests that ancient Roman women sometimes consumed wine. Granted, their wine was of a specific variety and alcohol strength. Certain types of wine, such as passum, a type of sweet raisin wine, were perhaps acceptable in the strict confines of gendered drinking parameters.

A fascinating window into funerary rights

The tomb in Carmona contained six urns made from limestone, sandstone, or glass and lead. The urn holding the man’s remains in wine also included with a gold ring and bone fragments. Another urn contained a woman’s remains, along with amber jewels, perfume, and fabric remnants, likely silk. The amphora-shaped perfume bottle contained patchouli oil, according to a 2023 paper published by the same team of Spanish archaeologists. The less wealthy used a communal columbarium which was a brick structure with numerous niches for the funerary urns. 

The items in the tomb were meant to accompany the deceased in the afterlife, similar to many other ancient cultures. Located along the road connecting Carmo with Hispalis (Seville), the tomb, once marked by a tower, sheds light on Roman funerary practices but also reveals a historical connection to wine culture.

The new findings appeared in the Journal of Archaeological Science.