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{{Short description|Archaeological site in Armenia}}
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The '''Areni-1 winery''' is a 6,100-year-old [[winery]] that was discovered in a cave by archaeologists in 2007 in the village of [[Areni]] in the [[Vayots Dzor]] province of the [[Republic of Armenia]]. The winery consists of [[fermentation]] [[vat]]s, a [[wine press]], storage jars, pottery shards, drinking cups and bowls, and is believed to be at least a thousand years older than the winery unearthed in the Israel-occupied [[West Bank]] in 1963.<ref>Maugh, Thomas H. "[http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-ancient-winery-20110111,0,1469486.story?track=rss Ancient winery found in Armenia]." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref><ref name="AFP">Santini, Jean-Louis. "[http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jnfS9_C2iOXuputnMsniptf5eUhw?docId=CNG.f1f4be5ff8c0625cfbb007232f3c6225.8f1 Scientists find 'oldest ever' winery in Armenia]." ''[[Agence France Press]]''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref> The excavations were sponsored by the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA) and the [[National Geographic Society]] and carried out by a team of archaeologists led by Gregory Areshian and Hans Barnard, both from UCLA's Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, and Boris Gasparyan of the [[Armenian Academy of Sciences]]' Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography.<ref name="NatGeo">Owen, James. "[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110111-oldest-wine-press-making-winery-armenia-science-ucla/ Earliest Known Winery Found in Armenian Cave]." ''[[National Geographic]]''. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref>
{{coords|39.731335|45.203626|display=title}}
[[File:Areni-1_cave_entrance.jpg|thumb|Entrance to the [[Areni-1 cave complex|Areni-1 cave]]]]

The '''Areni-1 winery''' is an ancient [[winery]] that was discovered in 2007 in the [[Areni-1 cave complex]] in the village of [[Areni]] in [[Vayots Dzor Province]] of [[Armenia]] by a team of Armenian and Irish archaeologists. The excavations were carried out by Boris Gasparyan of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the [[National Academy of Sciences of Armenia]] and Ron Pinhasi from [[University College Cork]] (Ireland), and were sponsored by the Gfoeller Foundation (USA) and University College Cork. In 2008 the [[University of California, Los Angeles]] (UCLA) also joined the project with [[Gregory Areshian]] as co-director of the Areni Project. Since then the excavations have been sponsored by UCLA and the [[National Geographic Society]] as well. The excavations of the winery were completed in 2010.

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The winery consists of [[Fermentation (wine)|fermentation]] [[Barrel|vats]], a [[wine press]], storage jars, pottery shards, and is believed to be at least a thousand years older than the winery unearthed in the [[West Bank]] in 1963, which is the second oldest currently known.<ref name= "LAT">Maugh II, Thomas H. "[http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-ancient-winery-20110111,0,1469486.story Ancient winery found in Armenia]." ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref><ref name="AFP">Santini, Jean-Louis. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140226122632/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jnfS9_C2iOXuputnMsniptf5eUhw?docId=CNG.f1f4be5ff8c0625cfbb007232f3c6225.8f1 Scientists find 'oldest ever' winery in Armenia]." ''[[Agence France Press]]''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref><ref name="NatGeo">Owen, James. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20110112152642/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110111-oldest-wine-press-making-winery-armenia-science-ucla/ Earliest Known Winery Found in Armenian Cave]." ''[[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]]''. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref>


The [[Areni-1 shoe]] was found in the same cave in 2008.
The [[Areni-1 shoe]] was found in the same cave in 2008.


==Discovery==
==Discovery==
Excavations at the Areni-1 site began in 2007 and continued until September 2010, when archaeologists fully unearthed a large, 2-foot (60 centimeters) deep vat, along with a 3.5-foot (one meter) long basin made of clay.<ref name="NatGeo"/> In addition to these discoveries were found grape seeds, remains of pressed grapes and desiccated vines. A number of drinking cups, next to a set of ancient graves, were also excavated, suggesting that the site was used for funeral ceremonies and ritualistic practices.<ref name="NatGeo"/><ref>Squires, Nick. "[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/8252732/Worlds-earliest-known-winery-discovered-in-Armenia.html World's earliest known winery discovered in Armenia]." ''[[The Telegraph]]''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref>
Excavations at the Areni-1 site began in 2007 and continued until September 2010. Armenian, American and Irish archaeologists fully unearthed a large, well-preserved {{convert|60|cm|ft|0|abbr=off|adj=mid|-deep}} vat, along with a {{convert|1|m|ftin|adj=mid|-long}} basin made of clay and covered with [[malvidin]].<ref name="NatGeo"/> In addition to these discoveries, grape seeds, remains of pressed grapes, prunes, walnuts, and desiccated vines were found. A number of drinking cups, found next to a set of ancient graves, were also excavated, suggesting that the site was used for funeral ceremonies and ritualistic practices.<ref>Belluck, Pam. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/11/science/11wine.html Cave Drops Hints to Earliest Glass of Red]." ''[[The New York Times]]''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.</ref><ref>Squires, Nick. "[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/8252732/Worlds-earliest-known-winery-discovered-in-Armenia.html World's earliest known winery discovered in Armenia]." ''[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]''. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.</ref> The cave was abandoned after its roof caved in, and the organic material was preserved thanks to sheep [[Feces|dung]], which prevented [[fungi]] from destroying the remains.<ref name= "LAT"/>

The team's full findings will be published in future.

[[File:Areni-1 cave panorama.jpg|900px|thumb|center|{{center|Panorama of the Areni-1 site along the [[Arpa River]]}}]]


==Analysis==
==Analysis==
The results of the biochemical analysis of the residues from the bottom of the wine-press and the storage jars carried out by Hans Barnard and his colleagues at UCLA were published in the ''Journal of Archaeological Science'' in January 2011.<ref>Barnard, Hans et al. "[http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/science/YJASC_2685.pdf Chemical evidence for wine production around 4000 BCE in the Late Chalcolithic Near Eastern highlands]." ''Journal of Archaeological Science'', (2010), {{doi|10.1016/j.jas.2010.11.012}}</ref>
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[[Radiocarbon]] tests carried out by researchers at the [[University of California, Irvine]] and [[Oxford University]] have revealed the date of the Areni-1 winery to 4100 BC and 4000 BC or the [[Copper Age|Late Chalcolithic Period]].<ref name="AFP"/> According to Areshian, the vintners used their feet to press the wine in the clay basin, the juice of which would then drain into the vat, where it would remain to [[ferment]] until being stored in jars.<ref name="NatGeo"/> The capacity of the vat has been estimated to be about 14-15 gallons.

⚫
Botanical analysis and [[radiocarbon]] tests carried out by researchers at the [[University of California, Irvine]] and [[Oxford University]] have revealed the date of the Areni-1 winery to around 4100 BC and 4000 BC or the [[Late Chalcolithic]] period.<ref name="AFP"/> According to Areshian, the vintners used their feet to press the wine in the clay basin, the juice of which would then drain into the vat, where it would remain to [[Fermentation (wine)|ferment]] until being stored in jars.<ref name="NatGeo"/> The capacity of the vat has been estimated to be about 14–15 gallons.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://phys.org/news/2011-01-earliest-winery-armenian-cave.html|title =Earliest known winery found in Armenian cave|website = PhysOrg.com|last =Sullivan|first = Meg|date = January 11, 2011|access-date = November 10, 2023}}</ref>


According to Areshian, the discovery of the winery has provided greater insight to the study of [[horticulture]]. Patrick E. McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist at the [[University of Pennsylvania Museum]], has likewise emphasized the importance of the discovery, describing it as "important and unique, because it indicates large-scale wine production, which would imply, I think, that the grape had already been domesticated."<ref name="NatGeo"/>
According to Areshian, the discovery of the winery has provided greater insight to the study of [[horticulture]]. Patrick E. McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist at the [[University of Pennsylvania Museum]], has likewise emphasized the importance of the discovery, describing it as "important and unique, because it indicates large-scale wine production, which would imply, I think, that the grape had already been domesticated."<ref name="NatGeo"/>

The exact identity of the people who lived in the region at the time is not known, although some researchers have postulated that they may have belonged to the [[Kura–Araxes culture|Kura-Araxes]] people and added that they may have been very involved in trade.<ref name= "LAT"/><ref name="AFP"/>

==See also==
* [[Gregory Areshian]]
* [[Areni-1 shoe]]
* [[History of wine]]
* [[Armenian wine]]
* [[Andin. Armenian Journey Chronicles]]


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist|2}}


==Bibliography==
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[[Category:Copper Age Europe]]
* Areshian G, et al. "The Chalcolithic of the Near East and South-Eastern Europe: Discoveries and New Perspectives from the Cave Complex Areni-1, Armenia," ''Antiquity'' 86 (2012):115–130.
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[[Category:Archaeological artefacts]]

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[[Category:Anthropology]]
==External links==
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[[Category:Wineries]]
[https://armeniadiscovery.com/en/articles/mysterious-bird-cave-the-oldest-winery-and-shoe The oldest winery and shoe]

{{Winemaking}}
{{Prehistoric technology| state=uncollapsed}}

[[Category:Chalcolithic sites of Asia]]
[[Category:2007 archaeological discoveries]]
[[Category:2007 archaeological discoveries]]
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[[Category:Archaeological sites in Armenia]]
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[[Category:Wineries of Armenia|*]]
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[[Category:Areni]]
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[[Category:History of wine]]

Latest revision as of 16:18, 29 November 2024

39°43′53″N 45°12′13″E / 39.731335°N 45.203626°E / 39.731335; 45.203626

Entrance to the Areni-1 cave

The Areni-1 winery is an ancient winery that was discovered in 2007 in the Areni-1 cave complex in the village of Areni in Vayots Dzor Province of Armenia by a team of Armenian and Irish archaeologists. The excavations were carried out by Boris Gasparyan of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia and Ron Pinhasi from University College Cork (Ireland), and were sponsored by the Gfoeller Foundation (USA) and University College Cork. In 2008 the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) also joined the project with Gregory Areshian as co-director of the Areni Project. Since then the excavations have been sponsored by UCLA and the National Geographic Society as well. The excavations of the winery were completed in 2010.

The winery consists of fermentation vats, a wine press, storage jars, pottery shards, and is believed to be at least a thousand years older than the winery unearthed in the West Bank in 1963, which is the second oldest currently known.[1][2][3]

The Areni-1 shoe was found in the same cave in 2008.

Discovery

[edit]

Excavations at the Areni-1 site began in 2007 and continued until September 2010. Armenian, American and Irish archaeologists fully unearthed a large, well-preserved 60-centimetre-deep (2-foot) vat, along with a 1-metre-long (3 ft 3 in) basin made of clay and covered with malvidin.[3] In addition to these discoveries, grape seeds, remains of pressed grapes, prunes, walnuts, and desiccated vines were found. A number of drinking cups, found next to a set of ancient graves, were also excavated, suggesting that the site was used for funeral ceremonies and ritualistic practices.[4][5] The cave was abandoned after its roof caved in, and the organic material was preserved thanks to sheep dung, which prevented fungi from destroying the remains.[1]

The team's full findings will be published in future.

Panorama of the Areni-1 site along the Arpa River

Analysis

[edit]

The results of the biochemical analysis of the residues from the bottom of the wine-press and the storage jars carried out by Hans Barnard and his colleagues at UCLA were published in the Journal of Archaeological Science in January 2011.[6]

Botanical analysis and radiocarbon tests carried out by researchers at the University of California, Irvine and Oxford University have revealed the date of the Areni-1 winery to around 4100 BC and 4000 BC or the Late Chalcolithic period.[2] According to Areshian, the vintners used their feet to press the wine in the clay basin, the juice of which would then drain into the vat, where it would remain to ferment until being stored in jars.[3] The capacity of the vat has been estimated to be about 14–15 gallons.[7]

According to Areshian, the discovery of the winery has provided greater insight to the study of horticulture. Patrick E. McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, has likewise emphasized the importance of the discovery, describing it as "important and unique, because it indicates large-scale wine production, which would imply, I think, that the grape had already been domesticated."[3]

The exact identity of the people who lived in the region at the time is not known, although some researchers have postulated that they may have belonged to the Kura-Araxes people and added that they may have been very involved in trade.[1][2]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Maugh II, Thomas H. "Ancient winery found in Armenia." Los Angeles Times. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Santini, Jean-Louis. "Scientists find 'oldest ever' winery in Armenia." Agence France Press. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d Owen, James. "Earliest Known Winery Found in Armenian Cave." National Geographic. January 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  4. ^ Belluck, Pam. "Cave Drops Hints to Earliest Glass of Red." The New York Times. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
  5. ^ Squires, Nick. "World's earliest known winery discovered in Armenia." The Telegraph. January 11, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2011.
  6. ^ Barnard, Hans et al. "Chemical evidence for wine production around 4000 BCE in the Late Chalcolithic Near Eastern highlands." Journal of Archaeological Science, (2010), doi:10.1016/j.jas.2010.11.012
  7. ^ Sullivan, Meg (January 11, 2011). "Earliest known winery found in Armenian cave". PhysOrg.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Areshian G, et al. "The Chalcolithic of the Near East and South-Eastern Europe: Discoveries and New Perspectives from the Cave Complex Areni-1, Armenia," Antiquity 86 (2012):115–130.
[edit]

The oldest winery and shoe

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