Did you know that Africa is home to the world’s oldest beer factory?

That’s right, we made beer first – about 5,000 years ago!

Recently, archaeologists uncovered a beer factory that they think dates back to the era of the First Dynasty in Egypt – that is 3100BC.

In Biblical times, Jesus was turning water into wine, while as far back as the 13^th century, Ancient Greeks celebrated a god known as Dionysus – the god of wine. But it seems wine isn’t the only alcoholic beverage that was being consumed all those centuries ago.

The Egyptian and American team of archaeologists discovered the beer factory in an ancient burial ground called Abydos. It consists of eight large areas that are each about 20m in length and each contain around 40 earthenware pots that were used to heat a mixture of grain and water. This would have resulted in a production of about 22,400 litres in one cycle!

While it may seem strange that the beer factory was found in a burial ground, experts believe that the beer was used in sacrificial rites that took place inside the funeral facilities, so it makes sense to keep the source close at hand.

So the next time you crack open a cold one, take a moment to appreciate that humans have been using beer in rituals for centuries gone by and it will no doubt form a part of human culture for many centuries to come. Cheers!