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King Tut Drank Red Wine, Researcher Says
ap on Yahoo ^ | 10/26/05 | JENN WIANT - ap

Posted on 10/26/2005 3:39:02 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

LONDON - King Tutankhamen was a red wine drinker, according to a researcher who analyzed traces of the vintage found in his tomb. Maria Rosa Guasch-Jane told reporters Wednesday at the British Museum that she made her discovery after inventing a process that gave archaeologists a tool to discover the color of ancient wine.

"This is the first time someone has found an ancient red wine," she said.

Wine bottles from King Tut's time were labeled with the name of the product, the year of harvest, the source and the vine grower, Guasch-Jane said, but did not include the color of the wine.

Several clues led scientists to believe the wine may have been red: drawings from the time of grapes being pressed into wine were red and purple, for example. But the color of King Tut's wine was impossible to verify until Guasch-Jane invented a process to detect a color compound not found in white wine called syringic acid.

To test her method, Guasch-Jane scraped residue from wine jars owned by the British Museum and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Two of the jars came from King Tut's tomb, discovered by English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922.

Patrick McGovern, an American molecular archaeologist, said he has discovered grape residue in northern Iran that dates winemaking to 5400 B.C.

Scientists believe the first wine discovered in Egypt, buried in King Scorpion's tomb in about 3125 B.C., was produced in Jordan and transported 500 miles by donkey and boat to Egypt, he said. Eventually, grapevines were planted in Egypt.

Research shows that ancient Egyptian kings and members of the upper class drank wine regularly, but common people consumed it only during festivals and special occasions, Guasch-Jane said.

Wine was offered to gods in ceremonies, and kings were buried with jars of wine and food similar to what they consumed when they were alive, she said.

Guasch-Jane first reported her findings in the academic journal Analytical Chemistry last year.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: 18thdynasty; agriculture; amarna; ancientautopsies; archaeology; drank; earlofcarnarvon; egypt; godsgravesglyphs; grapes; history; howardcarter; kingtut; oenology; patrickmcgovern; redwine; researcher; syringicacid; winemaking; zymurgy
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To: JAWs

LOL!


21 posted on 10/26/2005 4:00:30 PM PDT by RDTF
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To: NormsRevenge
Scientists believe the first wine discovered in Egypt, buried in King Scorpion's tomb in about 3125 B.C.,

King Scorpion? Is this a joke?

22 posted on 10/26/2005 4:01:39 PM PDT by tarheelswamprat
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To: Thinkin' Gal
Oh, yeah?


23 posted on 10/26/2005 4:03:48 PM PDT by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything.")
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To: tarheelswamprat

24 posted on 10/26/2005 4:06:14 PM PDT by Revolting cat! ("In the end, nothing explains anything.")
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To: tarheelswamprat

The Scorpion King is real and but he drank stingers instead of red wine.


25 posted on 10/26/2005 4:07:47 PM PDT by fish hawk (I am only one, but I am not the only one.)
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To: Revolting cat!

Who knew Ankhesenamen was a biker chick?!


26 posted on 10/26/2005 4:09:26 PM PDT by tarheelswamprat
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To: NormsRevenge; NautiNurse; sinkspur
This is a new episode of an older story - I was just going to post it and realized I had to check the details first:

King Tut Liked Red Wine
sciencedaily.com ^ | 2005-04-03

Posted on 04/03/2005 11:32:09 AM EDT by quantim

 

27 posted on 10/26/2005 4:09:42 PM PDT by quantim (I just reek of the antithesis of liberalism. They smell me and scatter like rats.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I thought drinking red wine was supposed to extend your life.


28 posted on 10/26/2005 4:10:51 PM PDT by AmusedBystander
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To: Revolting cat!

Does this mean that King Tut has an account at DU?

29 posted on 10/26/2005 4:11:24 PM PDT by Thinkin' Gal (As it was in the days of NO...)
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To: NormsRevenge

30 posted on 10/26/2005 4:11:28 PM PDT by Jaxter ("Vivit Post Funera Virtus")
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To: Zeppo

He was buried with the contents of his garage - he had some chariots in there too among his stuff.


31 posted on 10/26/2005 4:22:42 PM PDT by buwaya
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To: AmusedBystander

>>I thought drinking red wine was supposed to extend your life.

He was exceedingly well preserved for his age.


32 posted on 10/26/2005 4:23:30 PM PDT by Betis70 (Every generation needs a new revolution)
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To: tarheelswamprat

"King Scorpion? Is this a joke?"

Nope. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/scorpionking.htm


33 posted on 10/26/2005 4:25:01 PM PDT by buwaya
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To: Revolting cat!

"King Tut, Funky Tut" LOL!


34 posted on 10/26/2005 4:25:41 PM PDT by RDTF
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To: tarheelswamprat

"Can you smelllll what the Scorpion King is cooking?"

35 posted on 10/26/2005 4:29:35 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: Billthedrill

It's gettin hot in here!


36 posted on 10/26/2005 4:31:44 PM PDT by RDTF
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To: NormsRevenge

Coulda won a grammy...


37 posted on 10/26/2005 4:33:45 PM PDT by Clemenza (Gentlemen, Behold!)
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To: buwaya

Thanks!


38 posted on 10/26/2005 4:44:49 PM PDT by tarheelswamprat
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To: AmusedBystander
I thought drinking red wine was supposed to extend your life.

He should have stuck to the Welch's.... It has done wonders for Larry King!
39 posted on 10/26/2005 5:28:18 PM PDT by LA Woman3
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To: Thinkin' Gal

Does this mean that King Tut has an account at DU?
---
Since he was a Pharaoh, he probably was a LOUSY FREEPER TROLL.


40 posted on 10/26/2005 5:29:41 PM PDT by Cheburashka
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