The oldest industrial brewery found in Africa

Egypt has the world’s oldest industrial-scale brewery. In Upper Egypt’s old city of Abydos, an ancient brewery was discovered. Back then, beer was taken seriously! Archaeologists from Egypt and the United States were examining a necropolis in North Abydos when they uncovered a 5,000-year-old industrial complex.

The brewery is situated south of Sohag’s city center. It’s said that beer was made on a large scale here, with roughly 22,400 liters produced at one point.

Experts discovered eight 20-meter patches on the object’s region. There were 40 clay containers in each of them, organized in two rows—workers in this area cooked grain and water in vats kept in place by clay levers.

T. Eric Peet, an English Egyptologist, created the first records of the site around a century ago, reporting on the drying of grain but not on the manufacturing of alcohol. However, the site of the brewery remained forgotten for many years, until recently.

The finding was continued by archaeologists Adams and Dr. Deborah Fischak (Princeton University), who picked up where Pete left off. Magnetic survey equipment was utilized to determine the spot, according to Smithsonian Magazine.

So, what was the purpose of this large quantity of booze? The brewery is said to have started during the reign of King Narmer in the early dynastic era (3100BC).

Narmer was Egypt’s first king, bringing the country together and establishing the First Dynasty. Although the pharaoh was a powerful person, ancient Egyptians believed in the presence of a higher force.

The beer created, according to contemporary beliefs, was presented to the gods. “Evidence of the use of beer in sacrificial ceremonies was uncovered during excavations in these premises,” according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The status of the burial site suggests that the boundary between one world and the other was nowhere stronger than here. Abydos is the resting place of many kings and famous people. According to historians, the necropolis was the place where the jackal god Henti-Imentiu was worshipped. The cult of Osiris flourished at that time at this site. Rituals and sacrifices were, in many ways, a way of life.

Ancient Egyptian beer was so important that it was treated as a food item – it was consumed daily and in large quantities at religious festivals and celebrations.

Ancient Egypt is home to the mighty pyramids. These epic structures required large numbers of workers, and the construction process is still a mystery. However they did it, the work was grueling. Perhaps this was one of the most difficult jobs in history! Not surprisingly, the builders were allowed to refresh themselves after their grueling labor with a few beers.