The oldest millet herbal beer in the Europe? The ninth century BCE bronze luxury bucket from Kladina, Czech Republic

In 2017, a luxury bronze bucket was discovered nearKladina village in the Czech Republic. The bucket isdated to the ninth century BCE, and it is a unique arte-fact, having no parallel in Europe. Stylistically, it is a“transition type” dated between the Late Bronze Age(11th–10thcentury BCE) and the Hallstatt Period(eighth–sixth century BCE). Detailed palynologicalanalysis of verdigris and soil infill of the bucket identi-fied a wide range of pollen grains belonging mainly toherbs, with bitter-sour properties, and cereals. Subse-quent chemical analysis by gas chromatography/massspectrometry of soil extracts revealed the presence ofthe compound miliacin that is a chemical marker ofmillet. Moreover, a starch analysis reveals the presenceof enzymatically modified starch grains. These data,with the help of archaeological knowledge, indicate that the original content may have been millet-basedfood/beverage with addition of herbs. We suggest thatthis luxury vessel, given the contents we have identified,was deposited, in the late spring/summer months ofthe year.