News

July 10, 2014: Geekadelphia: Philly Geek Awards: Catching up with Dr. Pat McGovern from the University of Pennsylvania Museum, by Justin Mummert

July 9, 2014: Lansing Michigan News: Michigan is ‘epicenter’ of mead making: Ancient alcoholic drink comes from honey, by Matthew Miller

June 6, 2014: Newsweek: The Science of Booze, by Victoria Bekiempis

May 17, 2014: Harvard Political Review: To Ferment and Foment, by Olivia Zhu

May-June, 2014: Archaeology: Recreating Nordic Grog, by Katherine Sharpe

April 30, 2014: Munchies: The Man Who Brings Ancient Beers to Life, by Myles Karp

Feb., 2014: Vinforum: Vin fra Orienten, by Stefanie Brinkmann

Feb. 4, 2014: Penn Current: Penn Museum researcher finds ancient Scandinavian ‘grog,’ by Katherine Unger Baillie

Feb. 4, 2014: Philadelphia Inquirer: Early Scandinavians were not wine barbarians, by Tom Avril

Jan. 31-Feb. 28, 2014: Wine Spectator, quoted in Archaeologists Unearth 3,700-Year-Old Wine Cellar, and elsewhere (NBCNews.com, Wine Spectator, New York Times by John Noble Wilford, AP by Malcolm Ritter, etc.)

Jan. 26, 2014: Der Spiegel: Göttliches Gebräu, by Angelika Franz

Jan. 16, 2014: 3,000-Year-Old Grog Tradition Discovered in Scandinavia + Where to Find a Modern Version in L.A., by Lesley Jacobs Solmonson

Jan. 14, 2014: 7x7SF: The Newest Old Brew from Dogfish Head is Coming to a Beer Cooler Near You, by Scott Mansfield.

Jan. 14, 2014: LiveScience: Ancient Nordic Grog Intoxicated the Elite, by Stephanie Pappas. World-wide coverage followed.

Winter 2014: Etruscan News, vol. 16, p. 14: The Etruscan Introduction of Winemaking to France

Jan./Feb. 2014: The Atlantic: The Archaeology of Beer, by Wayne Curtis

Nov. 25, 2013: Wine Spectator: Archaeologists Uncover 3,700-Year-Old Wine Cellar, by Dave Levitan

Nov. 22, 2013: NBC News: Aged to Perfection? 3,700-year-old Cellar Housed “Luxurious” Wine, by John Roach

Nov., 2013: USAirways Magazine: A Taste of Honey, by Nick Passmore

Dec. 19, 2013: Nautilus: Beer Domesticated Man, by Gloria Dawson

Sept./Oct., 2013: Archaeology: French Wine, Italian Vine, by Nikhil Swaminathan

Sept. 29, 2013: fangea: Beer, our first biotechnology, by Janet Fang

June 29, 2013: Science News: Italians Taught French to Make Wine, by Cristy Gelling

June 21, 2013: The Column: French Wine Originates from Italy?

June 8, 2013: guokr.com (China), Google translation, 法国葡萄酒有名，起源却是意大利

June 6, 2013: Science Friday, NPR: Tracing the Origins of French Winemaking: Thursday, June 06, 2013 2:00 PM

June 6, 2013: Associated Press (e.g., Shanghai Daily, Japan Times, etc.), Tracing French Winemaking Back 2,500 Years, by Greg Keller

June 6, 2013: La Croix, Le Parisien, etc., Les Etrusques ont introduit la viticulture en France au Ve siècle avant J.-C.

June 6, 2013: TIME, Enjoy Old French Wine? How’s 2,500 Years For You?, by Veronique Greenwood

June 6, 2013: Penn Current, French Wine Born in Ancient Italy, by Manasee Wagh

June 6, 2013: World Archaeology, French wine: 2,500-year-old vintage

June 5, 2013: AFP (Agence France-Presse), China Post, etc., Ancient French Winemaking Had Roots in Etruscan Italy

June 5, 2013: Le Temps (Switzerland), Millésime gaulois (Gallic Vintage), by Pascaline Minet

June 5, 2013: Galieo, Vino francese? Etrusco, in realtà, by Lorenzo Mannella

June 4, 2013: The Telegraph, Archaeologists Find Evidence French Winemaking Had Roots in Italy

June 4, 2013: New Scientist, Mon Dieu! French Wine Is from Italy, by Debora MacKenzie

June 4, 2013: The Economist, How Did Winemaking Reach France?

June 4, 2013: The Australian, First French Wines ‘Imported,’ by John Ross

June 4, 2013: The Local (France’s News in English), French ‘Learned Wine-Making’ from Italians

June 4, 2013: Philadelphia Inquirer, Tracing French Wine to – Italy?, by Tom Avril

June 4, 2013: The Atlantic, How France Became So Good at Wine, by Olga Khazan

June 4, 2013, Perth Now, French Winemaking Had Its Roots in Italy

June 4, 2013: NPR: The Salt, The French Learned To Make Wine From Italians 2,400 Years Ago, by Lydia Zuraw (Italian version, el Molino, Une leçon bien apprise: Italianos les enseñaron a los franceses la explotación de la vid

June 3, 2013: LA Times, French Winemaking Imported from Italy, Chemical Evidence Shows, by Mary MacVean

June 3, 2013: BBC News, French Wine ‘Has Italian Origins,’ by Jason Palmer

June 3, 2013: Nature, Chemical Forensics Confirm French Wine Had Early Roots: Ancient Jars Hold Residue of 2,500-year-old Vintage

June 3, 2013: Science Now, French Wine Has Ancient Origins, by Helen Fields

June 3, 2013: EurekAlert and Phys.Org, New Biomolecular Archaeological Evidence Points to the Beginnings of Viniculture in France

June 3, 2013: Wine Spectator, When Did the French Start Making Wine?: A New Study Finds Evidence that Ancient Gauls Began Wine Production in 425 B.C. in the Languedoc, by Stuart Fox

June 3, 2013: LiveScience, Earliest Evidence of French Winemaking Discovered, by Stephanie Pappas

June 3, 2013: Discover, Chemical Analysis Reveals Possible Birthplace of French Winemaking, Hints of Pine and Basil, by Tasha Eichenseher

June 3, 2013: ScienceNews, Italians Taught French Wine-making: Archaeology Suggests Etruscans Brought the Grape to Gaul, by Cristy Gelling

June 3, 2013: Penn Museum, New Evidence on Origins of Winemaking in France

April 23, 2013: Urban Beer Nerd, Trouble Brewing, by Arne Frantzell

April 9, 2013: BeerSweden, Ancient Ales & Tales as Dogfish Head visits OT!, by Darren Packman

March/April 2013: Moment, Talk of the Table: Wine: Ambrosia of the Jews, by Sala Levin

March 31, 2013: Wine Spectator, The Quest to Uncover Wine’s Origins, by Suzanne Mustacich

Feb., 2013: Etruscan News, The Brewing of Etruscan Beer, by Jane Whitehead

Feb.-March, 2013: Philly Beer Scene, Dr. Pat and Quest for the Bygone Beers, by Patrick Ridings.

Jan. 14, 2013: Penn News, After Six Decades, Penn Archaeologists Carry on a Tradition of Research and Discovery in Turkey, by Katherine Unger Baillie.

Jan. 30, 2013: Le Progrès de Lyon, Viticulture. Le vin cherche ses origines dans le sud-est de la Turquie

Dec. 23, 2012: Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer, Drink, by Craig LaBan.

Dec. 17, 2012: NewsWorks, Northwest Philadelphia residents learn about and taste ancient brews during Cliveden event, by Karl Biemuller

Dec. 14, 2012: NewsWorks, Ancient brews and history on tap for Friday night Cliveden event , by Karl Biemuller

Dec. 12, 2012: Winespectator.com, The Quest for Wine’s Origins, by Suzanne Mustacich

Nov. 27, 2012: Agence France-Presse (AFP), DNA sleuth hunts wine roots in Anatolia, by Suzanne Mustacich

Oct. 16, 2012: Washington Post, What Hot Peppers Do for a Brew, by Greg Kitsock

Oct. 16, 2012: Foobooz. com, Drinking Ancient Beers (and Learning Stuff!) in South Jersey, by Tara Nurin

Sept. 19, 2012: Courier Post, Taste for History, by Renee Winkler

August 23, 2012: Italy in 30 Seconds, Extremely Ancient Beverages

August 3, 2012: Wall Street Journal, Joke Jugs, Grand Goblets: A Toast to Tippling Tradition, by Anna Russell

July 2012: Wayward Tendrils Quarterly, The History and Culture of Wine, by Kathleen Burk

June 2012: Bira (Turkish beer magazine), The Origins of Beer in the Fertile Crescent, by Yavuz Sac

May 12, 2012: Ezra Magazine (Cornell U.), Biomolecular Archaeologist Uncorks World’s Oldest Known Grape Wine, by Stacey Shackford

May, 2012: EOS-Science: Het bier van de farao [Dutch] and La bière du roi Midas [French], by Teake Zuidema

March 20, 2012: Nebraska Beer, Uncorking the Past (Joslyn Museum), by Nick Spies

Feb. 27, 2012: BBC Mundo, Las cervezas más antiguas del mundo, by Dalia Ventura

Feb. 7, 2012: New York Times, So Old It’s New, Mead Enjoys a Renaissance, Michael Sanders

Dec. 2011-Jan., 2012: WineMaker, Wine Archaeologist, by Wes Hagen

Dec. 1-7, 2011: Courrier international, L’aventurier de l’ivresse perdue [French translation of Dig, Drink and Be Merry, by Abigail Tucker, below]

Nov. 29, 2011, Washington Post: Beer, Like They Used to Make It, by Daniel Fromson

Nov. 6, 2011: Huntsville Times, Built with Beer: Archaeologist to discuss beer’s vital role in the development of civilization at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, by Anne Marie Martin

Nov. 3, 2011: Maclean’s, Drink Like an Egyptian, by Jessica Allen

Sept. 2011: All About Beer, Getting Primitive: Trekking Beer Through Religion, by Matt Stinchfield

Sept. 6, 2011: Slate Magazine, Beer Archaeologist: Tasting World History, by Christine Ziemba

Aug. 15, 2011: Newsweek (Polish ed.), Ferment Historii, by Magdalena Frender-Majewska

July-August, 2011: Smithsonian, Dig, Drink and Be Merry, by Abigail Tucker

July 25, 2011: Palate Press, Fermentation, Civilization: How History and Human Thirst Go Hand in Hand, by Emily Towe

July 5, 2011: Irish Edition (Philadelphia), Barbara Nolan: “Midas Touch–Uncorking the Past”

April 30, 2011: Sommelier Journal, pp. 36-40, Interview by Laura Taxel

April/May, 2011: Mid-Atlantic Brewing News: “The Beers That Time Forgot”

Apr. 19, 2011: SPIEGEL ONLINE, “Archäologie: Ägypter nutzten Kräuterwein als Medizin”

March, 2011: VINUM, Jäger des verlorenen Weins, p. 12

Feb.-April 2011: HerbalGram, Ashley Lindstrom, “Archaeological Oncology Project Uncovers Cancer-Fighting Compounds in Ancient Herbal Beverages,” 89: 15-16

Jan.-Feb. 2011: Mental Floss, Golden Lobe Award for Nerdiest Beer, 10: 44

Jan. 16, 2011: Dagens Nyheter (Stockholm, Sweden), Sunday issue

Jan. 11, 2011: LA Times, Thomas Maugh: “Ancient winery found in Armenia”

Jan. 11, 2011: National Geographic News on-line, James Owen: “Earliest Known Winery Found in Armenian Cave: Barefoot winemakers likely worked in cave where oldest leather shoe was found”

Jan. 11, 2011: Wall Street Journal, Robert Lee Hotz, “Perhaps a Red, 4,100 B.C.”

Jan. 11, 2011: Reuters, Maggie Fox, “At 6,000 years old, wine press is oldest yet found”

Jan. 11, 2011: New York Times, Pam Belluck: “Cave Drops Hints to Earliest Glass of Red”

Jan. 11, 2011: Washington Post, Marc Kaufman: “Ancient winemaking operation unearthed in Armenian cave”

Dec. 30, 2010: Good Lifestyle, Bubbles Aren’t All Bad. Case in Point: Bubbly Tap Water, by Peter Smith

Oct. 5, 2010: Côte-d’Or, Georges Duvernet, “Une boisson civilisatrice,” p. 7

Oct. 7, 2010: Herald-Tribune on-line, “9,000-year-old beer gets modern debut”

July 22, 2010: Summer Pennsylvanian (front page): “Ancient Drinks Fight Cancer”

May, 2010: Current Archaeology, Christopher Catling, “Does civilisation start with beer?” p. 44

Feb., 2010: Galileu (Brazilian “Scientific American,” Guilherme Rosa, “Movidos a álcool”

Feb. 2, 2010: BellaOnline, Carolyn Smagalski, “Ancient Ales for Modern Man”

Jan. 30, 2010: Suite 101, Rosemary E. Bachelor, “Historic Relationship Between Religion & Alcohol”

Jan. 19, 2010: BarBEERians, “An Alcoholic Motivation”

Jan./Feb., 2010: The Pennsylvania Gazette, cover story, 34-41, “Man, The Drinker,” by Trey Popp

Biomolecular archaeologist and Penn Museum researcher Patrick McGovern Gr’80 has found some of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to history, and he wants you to take a glug. They might just be responsible for civilization as we know it. (Not to mention your next hangover.)

Jan. 15, 2010: The Independent, Michael Kan, “Did a thirst for beer spark civilization?”

Jan. 3, 2010 – New York Times, The Stone Age Rocked, if You Liked Your Liquor
Maybe they were better off in the Stone Age than we think. As early as 9,000 years ago, long before the wheel was invented, inhabitants of a Neolithic village in China were brewing a type of mead, or fermented honey and fruit, with an alcohol content of 10 percent, the archaeologist Patrick McGovern discovered recently.

Dec. 28, 2010: Associated Press (nationwide), Allen G. Breed, “Mead, drink of Vikings, comes out of the Dark Ages”

Dec. 24, 2009 – The WhyFiles, Brewing: Just Doing What Comes Naturally

Ancient Ales and a Brewer’s Timeline

Dec. 24, 2009 – Der Spiegel, Brewing up a Civilization
Did our Neolithic ancestors turn to agriculture so that they could be sure of a tipple? US Archaeologist Patrick McGovern thinks so. The expert on identifying traces of alcohol in prehistoric sites reckons the thirst for a brew was enough of an incentive to start growing crops.

Penn Museum, Annual Report 2009-2010

Dec. 15, 2009 – MSNBC, Eight ancient drinks uncorked by science
Throughout human history, alcoholic beverages have treated pain, thwarted infections and unleashed a cascade of pleasure in the brain that lubricates the social fabric of life, according to Patrick McGovern, an archaeochemist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

July, 2009 – GERSTEL Solutions Worldwide, Peeking into Pharaoh’s Glass

April 24, 2009 –Daily Pennsylvanian, Ancient Egyptians Made Meds from Wine

April 20, 2009 – Philadelphia Inquirer, Age-old Remedies

Penn scientists are using chemistry to learn the identity of herbs the ancient Egyptian mixed with wine to make sought-after medicines.

July 22, 2009 – NOW Lebanon, Talking To: Wine archaeologist Patrick McGovern

Over the past two decades, Dr. McGovern has pioneered the exciting interdisciplinary field of Biomolecular Archaeology which is yielding whole new chapters concerning our human ancestry, medical practice, and of course what our ancient ancestors were eating and drinking.

Oct. 13, 2009 – Philadelphia Inquirer, Slaking a Thirst for Knowledge

Oct. 2009: The Scientist, Margaret Guthrie, “Tippling through the ages”

Oct. 9, 2009 : Philadelphia Daily News, Joe Sixpack, “Craft brewers offer a taste of history”

Sept. 8, 2009 – New York Times, Chew It Up, Spit It Out, Then Brew. Cheers!

SAM CALAGIONE, the founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, has a taste for exotic brews. There is Midas Touch, created from sediment found on drinking vessels in the tomb of King Midas in Turkey, and Chateau Jiahu, inspired by trace ingredients from a 9,000-year-old dig in China.

Feb. 8, 2008 – Phila. Daily News, Joe Six-Pack, Chocolate Beer

April 7, 2008 – Discover magazine, Earliest chocoholics

Chocoholics

Dec. 6, 2007 – Penn Current, Q & A with Patrick McGovern

Dec. 4, 2007 – Daily Pennsylvanian, Calling all Chocoholics

Nov. 2007: Brew Your Own: Two Ancient Brews, by Betsy Parks

Sept., 2006 – Süddeutsche Zeitung WISSEN–Magazin, Ur-Ur-Ur-Typ

Feb. 9, 2006 – Daily Pennsylvanian, Brewing the Past

May, 2005 – Inform, Fermented Beverages of Ancient China, by R. A. Moreau and A. Nunez

April 4, 2005 – J. Chemical Education, Prehistoric Beverage Choices

Dec. 11, 2004 – Science News, China’s Fermented Past

Dec. 7, 2004 – New York Times, Chinese Pottery Yields Leftovers of Stone Age Happy Hour