Ahead of a road construction project, archaeologists explored a site in northern China.
Between June and November, a team of experts worked to excavate the site — and they discovered the ruins of an ancient wine-making workshop.
Archaeologists found three stoves, seven wells and two fermentation ponds, according to a March 6 news release from the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology shared via a post on Weibo. The structures were used to make wine and liquor during the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 until 1644.
The stoves were arranged in a line, experts said. One well-preserved example included an operating pit, a fire chamber and a grate.
The fire chamber was of an elliptical shape, constructed using blue bricks. Its dimensions were roughly 3 feet in length, 1.5 feet in width, and 4 feet in depth.
Adjacent to this was a round well, which was utilized for gathering water for the cleansing of materials used in winemaking, as per archaeologists. The well was approximately 4 feet wide, with a maximum depth of 23 feet. It contained remnants of porcelain tiles and structural components.
Additionally, sherds from vibrant, patterned porcelain bowls and cups hailing from the Ming and Qing dynasties were discovered within both the stoves and wells, state authorities.
In proximity to the stove, experts also unearthed a tank used for fermenting. This rectangular structure measured roughly 10 feet long, 8 feet wide and stood at a depth of 2 feet.
Soil samples from inside the pit-like tank contained high levels of protein and acid residues connected to wine fermentation, archaeologists said.
Historical records from the Ming dynasty indicate that the process of making wine and liquor required the structures found at the site, officials said.
Google Translate and Baidu Translate were used to translate a news release from the Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.
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