The oldest wine in the world has been discovered in a glass funerary urn in Carmona, Seville, Spain. The reddish liquid, which enveloped the bones of an individual buried over 2,000 years ago, was found in 2019. After five years of research, it was confirmed to be the oldest known wine.
This discovery surpasses the previous record held by a bottle of wine from Speyer, dated to the 4th century AD and preserved in the Historical Museum of Pfalz, Germany. Researchers from the University of Córdoba conducted the analysis, led by Professor José Rafael Ruiz Arrebola, confirming the liquid’s identity as wine.
The Roman-era tomb, measuring 3.3 meters by 1.7 meters, contained the remains of six individuals, including Hispana, Senicio, and four unnamed individuals. “None of them ever imagined that their funerary ritual would gain relevance for a different reason two millennia later,” the experts stated.
The analysis revealed that the bone remains of one of the men were submerged in the wine inside a glass urn, preserved since the first century AD. The tomb also featured eight niches, with six containing urns for ashes and various funeral ritual objects.
One ossuary pot with M-shaped handles was particularly notable, placed inside an ovoid lead box. “At first, we were very surprised that the fluid was preserved,” said Juan Manuel Román, the municipal archaeologist. The preservation conditions kept the sample “intact and well-sealed” over time.
Researchers identified the liquid as wine through the presence of polyphenols, biomarkers found in all wines. Seven specific polyphenols matched those in wines from Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, and Sanlúcar. The absence of syringic acid, a polyphenol, suggested the wine was white, though its absence could be due to degradation over time.
The mineral salts in the wine were consistent with those in modern wines from the ancient province of Baetica, particularly Montilla-Moriles. This consistency supported the identification of the wine’s origin.
The discovery also highlighted gender divisions in Roman society. The bones of a man were submerged in wine, while the remains of a woman in a separate urn were not. Her urn contained amber jewels, a bottle of patchouli-scented perfume, and possible silk fabric remnants.
The analysis confirmed that wine, along with other items, was part of a funerary trousseau intended to accompany the deceased to the afterlife. “In ancient Rome, as in other societies, death held special significance, and people wanted to be remembered to continue living in some way,” the researchers noted.
The circular mausoleum, likely housing a high-income family, was located along the road connecting Carmona with Hispalis (Seville) and marked with a now-disappeared tower.
Two thousand years after their deaths, Hispana, Senicio, and their companions have provided significant insights into ancient Roman funeral rituals and the role of wine in these ceremonies.
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