Early Bronze Age Trojans from all classes –

An analysis of a delicate drinking boat discovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the 19th century Troy excavation confirmed that it had consumed wine during the early Bronze Age (2300-2300 BCE). The same technique was used to analyze residues in regular cups and beakers, where evidence of wine was also found. This is the earliest chemical evidence of Trojan wine consumption. Its presence in various containers found outside the castle means that wine is not the exclusive province of the early Bronze Age elite, as it was previously believed to be based on the prevalence of wine ships in liturgical and aristocratic environments.

Researchers from the University of Tübingen examined the residue in Depas Amphikypellon, the cylindrical cup with a wide open mouth and two curved handles. This form is extensive in the late Bronze Age Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Examples were found in the Greek mainland, Cyclades, Minoan Crete, northern Syria and most importantly, in Anatolia. Schliemann found many of them in his excavation of Troy, one of whom ended at the University of Tübingen.

When he found the DEPAS ships, Schliemann thought they were described by Homer several times in Iliad (e.g., Hephaestus’s “Double Cup”, Gold “Double Cup” Oeneus gave Bellererophon, Thracians gave Priam “Over the Cup”). However, the only one that doubles is the handle, but many other ancient Greek ships have these, so there is no real connection between Depas and Iliad, and they go far beyond the age of Homeric (1200-800 BCE). (Schliemann is wrong in many ways, including the age of the Troy layer he dug into.)

So while they have nothing to do with the Trojan War and its related myths, Depas Ammphikypellon ships contain important information about traded goods, local pottery making, and people drinking in the early Bronze Age.

From Schliemann’s discovery, there is now a Depas beaker and two fragments in the classical archaeology series at Tübingen University. Maxime Rageot of the University of Bonn milled two grams of samples from these two fragments. He then heated the sample to 380 degrees Celsius and analyzed the resulting mixture using gas chromatography (GC) and meteorological spectroscopy (GC-MS). “The decisive factor is the detection of succinic acid and pyruvate: they only form when the grape juice ferments. This means we can now say for sure that it is actually the wine consumed from the Depas beaker, not just the grape juice,” said Maxime Rageot of Bonn University.

Wine is the most precious drink of the Bronze Age, and the Depas cup is the most exquisite ship. DEDAS cups were found in temple and palace complexes. Therefore, scholars have concluded that wine is consumed on special occasions in elite circles. But maybe the lower class in Troy also drink wine as a daily food and drink? “We also chemically checked the ordinary cups found outside the castle in Troy. The containers also contain wine!” said Stephan Blum of the University of Turbingen. “It makes it clear that wine is a daily drink even for the average people.”