In a discovery published in the April edition of the American Journal of Archaeology, researchers revealed new evidence showing that ancient Troy was a city where wine flowed freely across all social strata, contrary to previous beliefs that it was a luxury reserved for the elite. The study, led by a team from the Universities of Tübingen, Bonn, and Jena, identified wine residues in clay drinking vessels that date back more than 4,000 years.
Heinrich Schliemann's 19th-century excavations initially brought Troy into the limelight. Schliemann was captivated by the depas amphikypellon, a two-handle drinking cup referenced in Homer's Iliad, which he believed played a role in ritual wine offerings or elite banquets. He recovered numerous examples during his excavation efforts, including the famed Treasure of Priam, a cache containing gold and silver artifacts. However, more recent chemical analyses of fragments from Schliemann's collections have challenged the narrative that only the Trojan elite drank wine.
Dr. Maxime Rageot of the University of Tübingen analyzed two ceramic fragments from Schliemann’s original excavations. The team discovered traces of succinic and pyruvic acids, which are indicators pertinent to the fermentation of grape juice into wine. “They only occur when grape juice ferments,” said Rageot.
Importantly, these clay cups were found in both the fortified citadel and the more common surrounding settlement areas of Troy, suggesting wine was not the preserve of the elite. “These vessels also contained wine. So it is clear that wine was an everyday drink for the common people, too,” said study co-author Stephan Blum from the University of Tübingen.
The findings suggest Troy's location may have afforded its residents a level of access to wine that was exceptional compared to other contemporary societies in Anatolia and the Aegean.
“Research into Troy has a long tradition at the University of Tübingen. I am delighted that we have been able to add another piece to the puzzle revealing the picture of Troy,” said Professor Karla Pollmann, president of the University of Tübingen.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.