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May 11, 2007
1 years ago The Cradle of WineAncient historians and anthropologists term the Middle Eastern region of Mesopotamia as the “Cradle of Civilization.” This is where civilization is presumed to have started—or at least begin to shine.
Well, if the phrase has not already been coined, I would like to introduce to you what I like to call the “Cradle of Wine.” And, albeit a surprise to some, I am not going to talk about southern Europe consisting of wine favorites such as France, Italy, and Spain. Yes, this region of the world has done a lot for wine, but it was not the cradle, or the beginning. Rather, let us consider the Fertile Crescent. Just as much as they have done for civilization—we have the ancient people from this region to thank for viniculture. Now, like most things ancient, we can’t be too sure of much besides what oral or written tradition, archaeology, or imagination can offer. On the other hand, these things can offer a lot. Let’s talk about tradition. The ancient Greeks ascribed the introduction of wine to Dionysus, god of (guess what!) wine. The Egyptians believed the art of wine-making came from Osiris, god of vegetation and, later, god of the dead. And the Hebrews attribute it to Noah (for the Biblical story, see Genesis 10:20-21). Well, I don’t believe in Dionysus or Osiris, and I do believe in the Bible, so I feel Noah is probably the best pick from the options we have. Maybe it even started sometime before Noah, and he was just a propagator of the art. I don’t know. Feel free to judge it for yourself. But, even then, we can’t be sure of the details. That’s where archaeology comes in and can be a splendid aid. ADVERTISEMENT In Mesopotamia, around 3500 BC, there is new evidence that the civilization of Sumer had knowledge of winemaking (based on testing the inside of a clay jar). So people were enjoying vino-juice five and a half millennia ago, in the Fertile Crescent (maybe it should be called the “Wine Crescent” now). But let’s not stop there. Many wine-enthusiast archaeologists have traced vino-making knowhow all the way back to the so-called “Neolithic Period.” This is based on a recent discovery in modern day Iran. Pottery vessels in what has been assumed to be the kitchen of an incredibly ancient abode, along with some chemical testing, has proven humankind knew about fermentation at the far edges of civilization. So, when you think about it, we modern humans haven’t really come that far, have we? Okay, we have invented a lot of high-tech stuff—so much and so many that it makes your mind spin. But, when technological advances stress us out—and our minds spin a bit too much— we sit down, chill, and sip on a glass of wine: a natural tranquilizer chemically formulated thousands of years ago by our human ancestors. All this thanks to the ancient, sage inhabitants of the Cradle of Wine. |
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