American and Egyptian archaeologists recently discovered evidence that an ancient beer brewery existed at the site of one of the most famous Egyptian archaeological sites of ancient times.



Mostafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that the factory was located in the Abydos Necropolis, a large site of ancient burials.

He remarked that the factory reportedly dates back to the time King Narmer reunited ancient Egypt at the beginning of the first dynasty. (3150BC-2613BC).

Archaeologists have found eight gigantic structures – each measuring about 20 meters in length and 8 meters tall. Each unit typically contains about 40 ceramic basins, which are used to heat a mixture of grains and water for brewing sake, Waziri said.

The joint mission was co-chaired by Matthew Adams, of the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, and Deborah Vischak, assistant professor at Princeton who specializes in ancient Egyptian art history.

Adams suggested that the factory was constructed in the region to provide royal ceremonies with beer, due to evidence indicating that ancient Egyptians used beer in sacrificial rites.