29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Researchers Make Distilled Wine in a Replica of a 2,000-year-old Bronze Vessel Found in the Emperor’s Tomb

Archaeologists in China have produced distilled wine in a replica of a 2,000-year-old bronze vessel recovered from an emperor’s tomb, revealing that the technique of distilled spirits existed in China as early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25). This result has pushed back the origins of China’s alcohol distillation technology by around 1,000 years.

The wine was made employing the same process believed to have been practiced at the time, including the use of taro.

The bronze vessel was discovered at the tomb of Liu He, the deposed ninth emperor of the Western Han dynasty (202BC-AD9). It is one of the best-preserved tombs from that dynasty.

Liu ascended to the throne in 74 BC, installed by the minister Huo Guang. His reign was brief because, most likely as a result of misbehavior, he was overthrown after just 27 days. After that, he was exiled and made Marquis of Haihun. Since its discovery in 2011, Liu’s tomb in eastern China has yielded many artifacts.

Among the artifacts discovered are the oldest known painting of Confucius in China and 6,000 composite armor scales composed of iron, copper, and leather bound with lacquer.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



According to the renowned Chinese medical book Compendium of Materia Medica, also called Bencao Gangmu, which was written by Li Shizhen, a prominent pharmacist during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the technology of alcohol distillation was first recorded in the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368).

Researchers Make Distilled Wine in a Replica of a 2,000-year-old Bronze Vessel Found in the Emperor's Tomb. Photo: Sina Weibo
Researchers Make Distilled Wine in a Replica of a 2,000-year-old Bronze Vessel Found in the Emperor’s Tomb. Photo: Sina Weibo

The discovery was made by a research team from the historical and cultural heritage conservation research center affiliated with Zhengzhou University in Central China’s Henan Province.

“This discovery has recreated the product from the Western Han dynasty—from raw materials to production process and the instrument used,” said Zhang Zhongli, an archaeologist with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the project manager for the tomb excavation.

The center has made a replica of a distiller excavated from the tomb of the Marquis of Haihun, East China’s Jiangxi Province. Made of bronze, the unique distiller was discovered in the tomb’s wine storage chamber. It consists of three parts: a main pot known as the “heavenly pot,” a cylindrical vessel, and a cauldron.

However, this kind of ancient distiller could be used not just for filtering alcohol, but also for “purifying and distilling cinnabar substances and flower dews,” said Yao Zhihui.

 Yao added that the possibility of the distiller being used for “purifying and distilling cinnabar substances and flower dews” can be “ruled out” according to parameters such as the ware’s design and the excavation site residue analysis.

 The team’s replica device was on a 1:2 scale of the original. The team used raw liquid materials such as beer and yellow wine to test the ware’s functionality. The results showed that the design achieved a “distillation efficiency of over 70 percent” and successfully maintained “the flavor and alcohol concentration of the spirits.”

Cover Image Credit: A distiller excavated from the tomb of the Marquis of Haihun, East China’s Jiangxi Province. Photo: Sina Weibo

Related Articles

New study reveals the Milky Way’s hidden role in ancient Egyptian mythology

11 April 2024

11 April 2024

The ancient Egyptians were keen observers of the night sky. They incorporated their astronomical observations into their religion, mythology, and...

Hagia Sophia May Collapse: Experts Sound Alarm Over 1,500-Year-Old World Heritage Monument

30 June 2025

30 June 2025

Beneath the grandeur of Hagia Sophia’s golden domes and sacred mosaics lies a ticking time bomb. With over 1,500 years...

On the beach of Herculaneum, a victim of the Vesuvius explosion was discovered with his bag

4 December 2021

4 December 2021

Archaeologists released haunting images Wednesday of the skeletal remains of a man buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in...

Famous  Roman Dictator Julius Caesar’s Perfume Recreated

2 August 2024

2 August 2024

The Romans are long regarded as heroes in the history of ancient civilizations because of the legacy they have left...

3,000-year-old Drill Bit Workshop Unearthed in Vietnam’s

13 May 2021

13 May 2021

According to the provincial museum, an ancient drill bit workshop dating back more than 3,000 years has been discovered at...

The earliest Buddha statues in China found in northwestern Shaanxi

10 December 2021

10 December 2021

The two copper-tin-lead alloy Buddha statues discovered in northwestern Shaanxi Province became the earliest Buddha statues of this kind unearthed...

Newly Discovered Tiwanaku Temple in Bolivia Sheds Light on Mysterious Ancient Civilization

25 June 2025

25 June 2025

Tiwanaku Temple Ruins in the Andes Reveal Vital Clues About a Powerful Pre-Incan Society’s Religious and Trade Networks Archaeologists have...

Rare Medieval Amethyst Jewel Discovered in Castle Kolno’s Moat

24 July 2025

24 July 2025

A stunning medieval amethyst jewel, believed to date back over 600 years, has been discovered in the moat of the...

A Roman statue unearthed on the site of St Polyeuctus’ church, which once Constantinople’s largest church

5 April 2023

5 April 2023

At Saraçhane Archaeology Park, where the Church of St. Polyeuctus is situated, excavation work by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) teams...

Numerous Statue Fragments Unearthed at Lost Apollo Sanctuary in Cyprus!

29 April 2025

29 April 2025

The Sanctuary of Apollo at Frangissa, located near ancient Tamassos and lost for approximately 140 years, has been rediscovered through...

Academics Uncover Ancient Roman Physicians Galen’s Pharmacy Legacy in İzmir

27 February 2024

27 February 2024

As a part of research on medicinal plants in Bergama, İzmir’s historic district where Galen (129 AD -200 AD) once...

4,000-year-old cylinder seal found in Blaundos excavations

29 September 2022

29 September 2022

A 4,000-year-old cylinder seal was found during the excavations of the ancient city of Blaundus (or Blaundos, as it is...

The Nightmare of the Roman Soldiers “Carnyx”

9 July 2023

9 July 2023

The Carnyx was a brass musical instrument used as a psychological weapon of war by the ancient Celts between 300...

Syria uncovered a large intact mosaic that dates back to the Roman era

12 October 2022

12 October 2022

Syria uncovered a large intact mosaic that dates back to the Roman era, in the central town of Rastan, describing...

1,800-Year-Old Gold Ring with ‘Venus the Victorious’ Carving and Carolingian Coins Discovered in France

25 December 2024

25 December 2024

Archaeologists from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) have discovered a 1,800-year-old gold ring with a chiseled...