Deep inside Raqefet Cave in Israel, stone mortars are carved into the floor of a Natufian burial site. In 2018, a research team led by Li Liu of Stanford University analyzed residues in these pits, dated to roughly 13,000 years ago. They identified starch granules consistent with malted wheat and barley fermented with wild yeast. The team interpreted this as evidence of brewing for funeral rituals, conducted by hunter-gatherers before the invention of agriculture. This finding supports the theory that the desire for alcohol, not just food, may have driven the domestication of grains. Other researchers question this reading, but the find suggests brewing appeared shortly after the earliest known bread, which dates to about 14,400 years ago.
The History of Beer
The history of beer, from possible brewing traces about 13,000 years old through Sumer and Egypt, hops and Bavaria's 1516 purity law, to refrigeration and the pure yeast behind modern lager.
Chapter 1
A Ritual Before Farming
0:48
Part of
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the oldest evidence of beer?
In 2018, researchers interpreted residues in 13,000-year-old stone mortars from Raqefet Cave, Israel, as evidence of brewing for funeral rituals. However, this interpretation is debated by some archaeologists.
What was the Reinheitsgebot?
The Reinheitsgebot, or 'purity law', was a decree issued in Bavaria on April 23, 1516. It stated that beer could only be brewed with barley, hops, and water, partly to keep brewers from using wheat needed for bread.
How did science make modern beer possible?
In 1883, Emil Christian Hansen of the Carlsberg Laboratory isolated a pure yeast culture. This eliminated 'beer sickness' from wild yeast contamination and allowed for the consistent mass-production of beer with the same flavor every time.
Learn more
To continue the story, download the Chunks Microlearning app
Or get it straight away:
Download on iOS
Download on Android