--- description: Researchers on Monday revealed evidence that shows beer brewing existed 5,000 years ago in ancient China. title: 5,000-Year-Old Beer Recipe Found in China, Researchers Say image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 5,000-Year-Old Beer Recipe Found in China, Researchers Say  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 23, 2016 7:58 PM CUT  by [Melissa Chan](/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 23, 2016 7:58 PM CUT Researchers on Monday revealed [evidence that beer brewing existed 5,000 years ago](http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/05/18/1601465113 "undefined") in ancient China. Artifacts dug up on a site in northern [China](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,634724,00.html "undefined") suggest locals were following a recipe for beer using broomcorn millet, barley, Job’s tears and tubers, according to a study published in the journal _Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences._ It’s the earliest indication that advanced beer-brewing techniques were established in China so many years ago, the study says. The artifacts were unearthed at Mijiaya, an archaeological site, from two pits dated to around 3,400-2,900 BC. **Read More:** [**_This Brewery Is Using the Music of Wu-Tang Clan to Age a Beer_**](http://time.com/3904193/wu-tang-beer-brewery/?iid=sr-link1 "undefined") Researchers found yellowish remnants in wide-mouthed pots and funnels that they say were used for beer brewing, filtration and storage, and the scientists’ analysis of the residue revealed the likely beer ingredients. They also found stoves that were likely used for heating and mashing grains. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4345381/5000-year-old-beer-recipe-china/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4345381/5000-year-old-beer-recipe-china/"},"headline":"5,000-Year-Old Beer Recipe Found in China, Researchers Say","datePublished":"2016-05-23T19:58:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T09:40:40.223Z","description":"The recipe included broomcorn millet and barley","url":"https://time.com/4345381/5000-year-old-beer-recipe-china/","keywords":["China"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Chan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4345381/5000-year-old-beer-recipe-china/","name":"5,000-Year-Old Beer Recipe Found in China, Researchers Say"}}]}] ```