Chemical analyses of residue from about 42 pottery vessels at the Mogou site in Gansu Province (c. 1700–1100 BC) reveal that the Mogou brewed red rice wine using the qu starter method. Tests detected rice, millet, Job's tears, buckwheat, barley and wheat, and starch degradation patterns consistent with fermentation. Evidence also points to the use of Monascus alongside Aspergillus, yeasts and bacteria. The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, concludes that qu-based drinks played a significant role in Mogou mortuary rituals.
Bronze Age Pottery Reveals How Ancient Mogou Brewed Ceremonial Red Rice Wine
Archaeologists uncover Bronze Age Chinese secret to brewing red rice wine
Pottery excavated from a Bronze Age burial site in Gansu Province provides the first direct chemical evidence that the Mogou people brewed red rice wine using the traditional qu starter method during the second millennium BC.
Archaeological Context
The site in northwest China is associated with the Mogou community and dates roughly to 1700–1100 BC. The burials span two cultural phases: the earlier Qijia (circa 2300–1500 BC) and the later Siwa (circa 1400–1100 BC). Some graves feature side chambers where ceramic vessels were placed above the head of the interred, suggesting these containers played a role in funerary practice.
Analytical Methods and Findings
Researchers analysed residues from about 42 pottery vessels recovered from the Mogou site using microscopic and chemical techniques. The tests detected plant remains including rice, millet, Job's tears, buckwheat, and members of the Triticeae tribe such as barley and wheat.
Pottery vessel assemblages from Qijia culture period tomb M499; Qijia to Siwa transition tomb M457; Qijia to Siwa transition burial M368; and Siwa culture period tomb M576 (Journal of Archaeological Science Reports 2025)
Crucially, starch residues showed patterns of enzymatic degradation consistent with fermentation. Chemical markers and residue patterns indicate the beverages were produced with qu—a solid starter brick of microbes that develops on grains and typically contains molds (including Aspergillus), yeasts, and bacteria. The study also identifies evidence for Monascus mold, which is traditionally associated with red fermentation products.
Ritual Significance
The authors of the study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, conclude that qu-based, multi-cereal fermented drinks were important components of Mogou mortuary ritual. The residue evidence offers direct support for earlier ethnographic and indirect archaeological suggestions that rice wine brewed with qu was consumed in ceremonial contexts.
“The Mogou people brewed alcoholic beverages using the qu method, preparing the fermentation starter mainly with rice and Monascus mold,” the study reports.
Broader Implications
These findings extend our understanding of ancient East Asian fermentation traditions: qu originated in Neolithic eastern China and spread across regions by the Bronze Age. The study demonstrates continuity and complexity in early Chinese brewing practices and highlights the ceremonial importance of cereal-based fermented drinks in Bronze Age mortuary rites.
