Brewing Mesopotamian beer brings a sip of this vibrant ancient drinking culture back to life
It’s been about five months since I set foot in a bar. Like many of you navigating life in a pandemic, I miss bars. I miss the simple pleasure of sharing a beer with friends. And I know I’m not alone.
People have been gathering over a beer for thousands of years. As an archaeologist, I can tell you the history of beer stretches deep into the human past – and the history of bars is not far behind.
If you could travel back in time to one of the bustling cities of ancient Mesopotamia (c. 4000–330 B.C.), for example, you would have no trouble finding yourself a bar or a beer. Beer was the beverage of choice in Mesopotamia. In fact, to be a Mesopotamian was to drink beer.
A beloved beverage
For the Sumerians, Akkadians and Babylonians, the ancient inhabitants of modern-day Iraq, beer was a da...