Archaeologists working at a Bronze Age cemetery in northwest China have uncovered pottery vessels containing residue that reveals a sophisticated brewing technique dating back nearly 4,000 years. The discovery at the Mogou site in Gansu Province demonstrates that ancient Chinese communities ceremonially consumed red rice wine made using a fermentation method still employed in parts of Asia today.
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The Qu Fermentation Method Decoded
Researchers from Northwest University in Xi'an, the Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, and Stanford University analyzed residue from 42 pottery vessels spanning the period from 1700 to 1100 BC. Their findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, confirmed that the Mogou people brewed alcoholic beverages using the qu method, an ancient Chinese fermentation technique that originated in Neolithic eastern China.
The qu method uses a starter culture consisting of a brick of microbes grown on grains, including Aspergillus mold, yeast, and bacteria. Unlike malt-based fermentation, which relies on enzymes produced during cereal germination, the qu starter generates both yeast and enzymes from the microbes it contains. The identification of Monascus mold specifically indicated that inhabitants of Mogou prepared their fermentation starter mainly with rice and this distinctive red mold, creating a beverage similar to modern red rice wine.
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Monascus purpureus being used to make red rice wine (Public domain)
A Diverse Agricultural Foundation
The study confirmed previous research findings that the Mogou people consumed a diverse range of plant foods during the second millennium BC. Researchers identified the use of various plants in the pottery residues, including rice, millet, Job's tears, buckwheat, and plants belonging to the Triticeae family, such as barley and wheat. Starch residues from the vessels showed signs of enzyme action, confirming fermentation as part of the brewing process.
Ritual Drinking Across Two Ancient Cultures
The Mogou cemetery, covering over 30 hectares, represents the largest and best-preserved burial site from the Qijia Culture (2300-1500 BC) found to date. The burials spanned two ancient cultural periods: the Qijia culture from 2300 to 1500 BC and the Siwa culture from 1400 to 1100 BC. During excavations between 2008 and 2012, archaeologists discovered that some burials had side chambers situated at varying depths within the walls, containing ceramic objects positioned above the interred's head.
Pottery vessel assemblages from Qijia culture period tomb at Mogou cemetery. (Journal of Archaeological Science Reports)
These pottery vessels found in the side chambers offered researchers a rare opportunity to determine whether the Mogou consumed fermented beverages and identify the brewing methods they used. The researchers concluded that this qu-based beverage, made from a variety of cereals, played a significant role in mortuary practices. The presence of red rice wine at the cemetery suggested a tradition that strengthened the bond between the living and the dead, according to the South China Morning Post.
The discovery adds to our understanding of ancient Chinese brewing traditions and demonstrates the sophistication of Bronze Age fermentation technology on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
Top image: Pottery vessel assemblages from Qijia culture period tomb at Mogou cemetery. Source: Journal of Archaeological Science Reports
By Gary Manners
References
Chen, R. et al. 2025. Alcoholic beverage offerings at the bronze age mogou cemetery in northwest China: insights from residue analysis. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352409X25004882
Gibbons, S. 2024. Archaeologists uncover Bronze Age Chinese secret to brewing red rice wine. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/red-rice-wine-brone-age-recipe-china-b2890638.html
Zhang, C. 2024. Bronze Age cemetery offers clues on how ancient Chinese brewed red rice wine. Available at: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3337691/bronze-age-cemetery-offers-clues-how-ancient-chinese-brewed-red-rice-wine
