In 2019, a quiet family from Carmona, in the south of Spain, made an out of the ordinary discovery while renovating his home. Under the floors, hidden in the silence of the rock, an intact Roman tomb has emerged for about two thousand years. A discovery already extraordinary in itself, but what the researchers found inside is incredible.
Inside the tomb, in fact, six cinerary urns were present. In one of them, next to cremated bone remains and a gold ring, there was a glass container full of a reddish liquid. It was neither water nor recent infiltrations: that mysterious substance proved to be liquid Roman wineperfectly sealed and preserved for two millennia.
Confirmed in 2024 through a chemical analysis published in the magazine Journal of Archaeological Science: Reportsthis discovery represents the oldest liquid wine ever analyzed in the world.
According to the organic chemist José Rafael Ruiz Arboola, of the University of Córdoba and responsible for the analyzes, the sepulcher dug in the rock acted as a natural watertight chamber. No evaporation, no looting, no microbiological contamination: the ideal conditions for preserving both human remains and the wine contained in theobsuariathe funeral jar in glass.
The wine in question was in the urn intended for a man called Seniciowhose name was engraved on the container. Next to his ashes, the researchers also found a gold ring depicting the Roman god Bifronte Giano and, probably, the metal feet of the bed used for cremation.
This discovery exceeds the famous in importance Spira bottledated to the 4th century AD and found in Germany in 1867, which so far held the primacy of oldest wine. Unlike Spira’s wine, however, that of Carmona was subjected to a detailed chemical analysisoffering a single window on the original composition of Roman wine.
Chemical analysis confirm
Scientists have excluded any accidental origin of the liquid. No trace of humidity or infiltrations was detected in the adjacent polls. The content of the Arolo was therefore wine intentionally poured as part of the funeral ritual.
The tests detected a PH of 7.5similar to that of water, very different from that of modern wines, which is around pH 3. This neutral value is the result of two thousand years of chemical transformations. But the real turning point came fromPolyphenol analysismade through high -performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry.
Have been identified Seven polyphenols characteristic of winein particular those typical of dry white wines of the Andalusian areas of Montilla-Moriles, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Jerez. Despite the current reddish color of the liquid, caused by chemical reactions that occurred over time, the absence of siringic acid – a typical red wine marker – confirmed that The wine was originally white.
Symbolism, memory and funeral rites
The wine found next to the ashes of Senicio was not there by chance. In ancient Rome, including wine in the burials was a privilege reserved for the elevated classes and, mostly, to men. It was A final libara symbolic offer to accompany the deceased on his journey to the afterlife.
On the contrary, to women – like Hispana, whose remains were kept in another urn of the same tomb – objects such as Jewels, perfumes and fine fabrics. Women’s access to wine was in fact prohibited by Roman culture, even after death.
In total, the tomb hosted eight burial niches, six of which contained polls made of different materials, including limestone, sandstone, glass and lead.
This discovery allows you to study for the first time A Roman wine in its original liquid formexceeding the limits of previous research based on dry residues or traces absorbed in the amphorae. But it also offers an important testimony on funerary practices and the desire of the Romans of be remembered through symbols of status and sensory rites. As Ruiz Arbola said:
The Romans were proud, even in death. They wanted to remain in people’s memory.
As for the possibility of tasting the wine? Although not toxins have been found, none of the researchers showed particular enthusiasm at the idea of drinking a liquid left in contact with human remains for two thousand years. Still, that wine has perfectly fulfilled to its function: Don’t be drunk, but remember.
