The beginnings of rice farming and making alcohol in China are interesting areas of study. The Shangshan culture in the Lower Yangzi River region is a key focus for archaeologists studying these early developments.
Using a multiproxy approach, the research team analyzed phytoliths, starch, and fungi microfossils found in pottery vessels from the earliest phase of the Shangshan site to gain insights into these ancient practices.
Researchers uncovered evidence of rice beer dating back approximately 10,000 years at the Shangshan site in Zhejiang Province, China. The findings offer new insights into the origins of alcoholic beverage brewing in East Asia.
The research team studied twelve pottery fragments from the early phase of the Shangshan site in Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province (10,000–9,000 years ago). These fragments came from different vessels used for fermentation, serving, storage, cooking, and processing.
The team extracted and analyzed microfossils from the pottery’s inner surfaces, the pottery clay, and the surrounding sediments. They focused on identifying phytoliths, starch grains, and fungi, which helped them understand how the pottery was used and what food processing methods were practiced at the site.
Phytolith analysis revealed a large presence of domesticated rice phytoliths in the pottery residues and clay, suggesting that rice was a key food source for the Shangshan people. The researchers also found that rice husks and leaves were used in pottery production, further highlighting the importance of rice in Shangshan culture.
The team discovered a variety of starch granules in the pottery residues, including rice, Job’s tears, barnyard grass, Triticeae, acorns, and lilies. Many of these starches showed enzymatic breakdown and gelatinization, indicating that fermentation processes were involved.
Additionally, the study identified abundant fungal elements, such as Monascus molds and yeast cells, which showed developmental stages typical of fermentation. These fungi are similar to those used in traditional Chinese brewing methods, such as in hongqujiu (red yeast rice wine) production.
The research team examined the distribution of Monascus and yeast remains in different pottery vessel types, finding higher concentrations in globular jars compared to a cooking pot and a processing basin. This pattern suggests that vessel types specialized for specific functions, with globular jars intentionally designed for alcohol fermentation.
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Image by IGG
These findings indicate that the Shangshan people practiced a wide range of subsistence strategies during the early stages of rice domestication and used pottery, especially globular jars, to brew qu-based rice alcoholic beverages.
Prof. LIU Li from Stanford University, the first author of the paper and a co-corresponding author, said, “The emergence of this brewing technology in the early Shangshan culture was closely linked to rice domestication and the warm, humid climate of the early Holocene.”
“Domesticated rice provided a stable resource for fermentation, while favorable climatic conditions supported the development of qu-based fermentation technology, which relied on the growth of filamentous fungi.”
To eliminate the possibility of contamination from soil, the researchers analyzed sediment control samples and found significantly fewer starch and fungal remains than the pottery residues. This supports the conclusion that the residues were directly linked to fermentation activities. Modern fermentation experiments using rice, Monascus, and yeast confirmed the findings by showing that the fungal remains on Shangshan pottery matched in appearance.
Prof. LIU noted that these alcoholic beverages were likely crucial for ceremonial feasting, suggesting their ritual significance and their role in promoting rice’s widespread cultivation and use in Neolithic China.
The evidence of rice alcohol fermentation at Shangshan marks the earliest known instance of this technology in East Asia. It provides valuable insights into the connection between rice domestication, alcohol production, and the development of early social structures during the early Holocene in China.
Researchers from Stanford University, the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology (ICRA) in China jointly conducted the study.
Journal Reference:
- Li Liu, Jianping Zhang et al. Identification of 10,000-year-old rice beer at Shangshan in the Lower Yangzi River valley of China. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2412274121