Defining Beer in the Ancient World

How old is beer, and how do we know the peoples of the ancient Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, and Roman worlds consumed it? This CU on the Weekend presentation by CU Boulder Lecturer and Beer Archaeologist Travis Rupp will examine the earliest archaeological evidence of beer and brewing. The lecture will also analyze ancient references and labels for beer provided by various Mesopotamian, Biblical, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman sources in order to define what beer was in antiquity. Rupp will trace the etymology of these terms to the Late Roman period when political and religious institutions used beer and brewing terminology to define social classes, nationalities, and religious populations on the fringes of Roman dominion. Lastly, the lecture will explore how the very terms used to damn and scrutinize beer brewing and drinking populations were used in later periods of European history and still shape the terms and definitions we use for beer today.