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Ancient wine kept sealed
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A BOTTLE of 2,000-year old wine sealed in a bronzeware container has remained locked for over a decade, since archeologists recovered it from a grave occupied by an official of early Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220AD) in Beihai, a scenic beach city in southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The bronze vessel with hoop handles and decorative patterns carries some five kilogrammes of wine, which is supposed to be the oldest so far found in the world. It can be felt sloshing around inside if shaken.
Conservators say that as a valuable article buried with a master, the wine must be pure and aromatic. However, it is difficult for archeologists to figure out whether it is a vintage or liquor, since the lid was stongly fixed to the vessel.
The archeological site of Hepu County, Beihai, was one of the departure ports along the ancient "Sea-Bound Silk Road," linking trade between China's coastal region and the Middle East and Europe over 2,000 years ago. It should have been normal for a ranked official to keep foreign wine in his afterlife.
Although the present way of preservation could avoid the wine from volatilization, the copper rust on the outside of the vessel is eroding the pedestal. Archeologists say that the oxidization of the bronze will be deteriorating. Better storage methods need to be solicited to protect the old wine.
(Xinhua)
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