The Ashmolean

Iraq: Navel of the World

City Life [6]

Brewing originated as a technique for ensuring that water was disease-free and fit to drink. Ancient Sumerian beer was made from a thick mash of dates and malted barley. As shown on this cylinder seal from Kish (c.2500 BC), it was often drunk through a straw - to filter out the solids - from a communal vat.
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