Hengshui, Hebei Province, discovered the ruins of large wineries in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and the traditional winemaking process was witnessed in kind
The reporter learned from the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology that after more than 4 months of archaeological excavations, recently, a large winery site in Taocheng District, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, was presented to the world. The discovery of the site provides an important physical witness to the traditional Chinese old white dry wine brewing technique. The Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Association rated the site of this winery as a special new discovery in Hebei Archaeology in 2021.
The picture shows the ruins of the winery. Courtesy of Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
In March this year, a ground tank for winemaking was found at a construction site in the demolition area of Fuyanghe East Old Town in Taocheng District, Hengshui City, and the local cultural relics department initially judged it to be the ruins of the winery. From August to November, the Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, together with the Hengshui Cultural Relics Protection Research Institute and the Hengshui Taocheng District Cultural Protection Institute, formed a joint archaeological team to complete the preliminary investigation, exploration and later excavation.
The picture shows the underground distillation stove at the ruins of the winery. Courtesy of Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
According to Hu Qiang, executive leader of the joint archaeological team, they first investigated the 150,000-square-meter Ming and Qing Dynasty industrial and commercial areas around the jiufang site and on both sides of the Fuyang River, with an exploration area of about 3,000 square meters and an excavation area of about 500 square meters. The site strata are roughly divided into modern, Republican, Qing and Ming dynasties, and 33 relics such as ancient winemaking workshops and cellar ponds, stalls, underground distillation stoves, and wetting ponds have been excavated, and a large number of ceramic pieces, metals, glass, shells and other relics have been excavated.
The picture shows the staff excavating the contents of the tank at the site of the winery. Courtesy of Hebei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
According to reports, the wine making facilities of the wine factory site are complete, the unique indoor semi-underground double-storey cellar pool in the northeast of the site is composed of an outer earth cellar pond and more than 30 internal tanks, and the underground distillation stove is cleverly designed, reflecting the complete shochu production process, providing an important physical witness for China's traditional old white dry wine brewing technology. The layout, structure and scale of the courtyard-style workshop at this site are rare in the country, and it is the only shochu workshop site since the Yuan Dynasty excavated by archaeology in North China, which has high historical and cultural research value.
Reporters: Wang Min and Feng Weijian
Editor: Liao Yi
Source: Xinhua News Agency