The oldest millet herbal beer in the Europe? The ninth century BCE bronze luxury bucket from Kladina, Czech Republic

Abstract

In 2017, a luxury bronze bucket was discovered near Kladina village in the Czech Republic. The bucket is dated to the ninth century BCE, and it is a unique artefact, having no parallel in Europe. Stylistically, it is a "transition type" dated between the Late Bronze Age (11 th -10 th century BCE) and the Hallstatt Period (eighth-sixth century BCE). Detailed palynological analysis of verdigris and soil infill of the bucket identified a wide range of pollen grains belonging mainly to herbs, with bitter-sour properties, and cereals. Subsequent chemical analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of soil extracts revealed the presence of the compound miliacin that is a chemical marker of millet. Moreover, a starch analysis reveals the presence of enzymatically modified starch grains. These data, with the help of archaeological knowledge, indicate