Before the brewpub, there was the brew cave. In Israel's Raqefet Cave archaeologists recently reported traces of what could be the earliest known beer production 13,000 years ago.
The evidence comes from three stone mortars, analyzed in a 2018 Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports paper. After extracting residues from the rocks, the researchers identified plant molecules, including wheat or barley starches that appeared malted, mashed and fermented — the main ingredients and basic steps of beer brewing.
Mortars at Raqefet Cave where remnants of ancient beer production were found. (Credit: Dani Nadel/Wikimedia Commons)
The team also analyzed microscopic scratches and polishing on the stones. Two of the mortars had patterns indicative of plant storage and the other seems to have been used for pounding food with a wooden pestle.
