Egyptian brewing : the production of beer based on archaeological evidence

Abstract

Production of beer in ancient Egypt was an important daily activity. Beer was an essential part of the nutrition of the ancient Egyptian as well as important in religious life. Beer production dates back to at least the 35th century BC. The standard model for the production of beer in ancient Egypt is based on the interpretation of artistic depictions in tombs and the modern practice of making bouza, a beer produced by Nubian and Coptic populations in modern Egypt. Another model has been put forth by Delwen Samuel that uses high powered microscopy to analyze beer residues. Based on starch morphology, Samuel argues that the standard method of brewing needs to be rethought. Using this model for beer production, I attempted to reproduce beer of ancient Egypt.