New chemical analysis of drinking vessels unearthed at Hisarlik, the site widely believed to be ancient Troy, has provided the first direct evidence that its inhabitants consumed wine. The findings, published in the American Journal of Archaeology, confirm a longstanding hypothesis about the use of depas amphikypellon goblets, which were described in The Iliad and discovered in significant quantities at the site.
According to the Homeric epic, the god Hephaestus once passed around a “double goblet” during a banquet on Mount Olympus, pouring sweet nectar for the gods. The drinking vessel described is often linked to the depas amphikypellon, a distinctive goblet with a slender neck and two large handles. While Heinrich Schliemann, the 19th-century businessman and amateur archaeologist who excavated Troy, speculated that these goblets were used for communal wine drinking, no direct evidence supported this claim—until now.
Scientific Breakthrough
A team of archaeologists from Germany’s University of Tübingen and University of Bonn analyzed two-gram samples taken from the inner walls of two vessel fragments excavated by Schliemann. Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, they detected the presence of succinic and pyruvic acids—compounds that only form when grape juice undergoes alcoholic fermentation.
“The evidence of succinic and pyruvic acids was conclusive: They only occur when grape juice ferments,” said Maxime Rageot, a biomolecular archaeologist at the University of Bonn, in a statement. “So now we can state with confidence that wine was actually drunk from the depas goblets and not just grape juice.”
Wine for All, Not Just the Elite
Schliemann had uncovered more than 100 depas goblets at Troy, dating between 2500 and 2000 BCE. However, they were often found alongside precious metals, leading scholars to assume that wine consumption was reserved for the elite.
To test this assumption, the research team analyzed drinking vessels discovered outside the citadel, in the outer settlement of Troy. These common cups revealed the same chemical markers of wine, indicating that fermented grape beverages were not limited to the ruling class.
“It is clear that wine was an everyday drink for the common people, too,” said study co-author Stephan Blum of the University of Tübingen.
Revisiting Ancient Practices
These findings challenge previous assumptions that wine in the third millennium BCE was an exclusive luxury. The researchers note that while it remains unclear whether the depas goblets were used for religious rituals, social gatherings, or routine consumption, their use for drinking wine is now firmly established.
“Schliemann was right: The depas amphikypellon was certainly used for wine consumption,” Blum wrote in The Conversation. “Whether this was tied to religious practices, rituals, and public banqueting, or simply drinking wine as part of everyday life remains uncertain.”
The study opens new avenues for exploring the role of wine in ancient civilizations, with further research expected to uncover more insights into the social and cultural significance of wine consumption in the ancient world.
You Might Be Interested In:
