Malt was produced for beer brewing as early as the Iron Age in Sweden, say scientists who have found possible evidence indicating a large-scale production of beer, possibly for feasting and trade in the region.
Archaeologists have found carbonised germinated grains in Uppakra in southern Sweden. “We found carbonised malt in an area with low-temperature ovens located in a separate part of the settlement. The findings are from the 400-600s, making them one of the earliest evidence of beer brewing in Sweden,” said Mikael Larsson, from Lund University in Sweden.
Archaeologists have long known that beer was an important product in ancient societies in many parts of the world. Through legal documents and images, it has been found, for example, that beer was produced in Mesopotamia as early as 4,000 BCE. However, as written sources in the Nordic region are absent prior to the Middle Ages , knowledge of earlier beer production is dependent on botanical evidence.
