2,000-Year-Old Wine Found in Roman Tomb in Southern Spain

The urn, believed to be airtight for nearly two millennia, also contained the cremated remains of a man, indicating it was part of a high-status Roman burial.

In ancient Roman funerary traditions, it was common to include food and drink offerings—especially wine—in tombs to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. Wine held not just social and culinary importance but also religious and symbolic value. It was often associated with Dionysian rituals, concepts of rebirth, and honoring the dead. That this urn was carefully sealed shows the reverence the Romans had for these traditions and perhaps the elevated status of the person buried there.

2,000 Year Old Wine Still In Liquid Form

This is now believed to be the oldest liquid wine ever recovered, surpassing the famous Speyer wine bottle found in Germany, dated to around 325 CE, though that bottle has never been opened.

Researchers have begun analyzing the wine's chemical composition to determine its grape variety, alcohol content, and preservation process. The reddish color suggests it may have originally been a red wine, though pigmentation can change over time due to chemical degradation. The sealed container likely created an anaerobic environment, helping to prevent complete evaporation or microbial spoilage.

This analysis could offer unprecedented insight into ancient Roman winemaking techniques, such as fermentation processes, additives (like resin or spices), and storage methods. It also opens up new avenues in archaeochemistry and experimental archaeology, possibly allowing researchers to recreate the taste profile of Roman wine using modern methods.