Archaeology: Oldest-known drinking straws were gold and silver, 3ft long and used in a communal bowl

Archaeologists have identified the world’s oldest-known drinking straws — and they were a far cry from the paper ones you get to slurp up your McDonald’s milkshake.

The straws were made from gold and silver, often with bull figurines. Each straw measured 3 feet in length and could be used to drink beer from the communal bowls at banquets.

The eight tubes — which date back more than 5,000 years — were first unearthed from Maikop kurgan, a Bronze Age burial mound in Southern Russia, back in 1897.

The straws, which are on display in the Hermitage Museum of St Petersburg, had previously been thought to have been sceptres, or perhaps poles for a canopy.

However, experts led from the Russian Academy of Sciences found evidence that the items may have been used as long straws for drinking up beer.

Archaeologists have identified the world’s oldest-known drinking straws — and they were a far cry from the paper ones you get to slurp up your McDonald’s milkshake. Made of gold and silver and often decorated with a bull figurine, each straw ran to three-feet-long and was used to sip beer from communal bowls at banquets (as depicted)

The eight tubes (pictured) — which date back more than 5,000 years — were first unearthed from Maikop kurgan, a Bronze Age burial mound in southern Russia, back in 1897

Made of gold and silver and often decorated with a bull figurine, each straw ran to three-feet-long and was used to sip beer from communal bowls at banquets, as depicted

‘A turning point was the discovery of the barley starch granules [left, circled] in the residue from the inner surface of one of the straws,’ said archaeologist Viktor Trifonov. ‘This provided direct material evidence of the tubes from the Maikop kurgan being used for drinking.’ Pictured, right, the silver tip-strainer of one of the straws

The new study of the tubular metal artefacts was undertaken by archaeologist Viktor Trifonov of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute for the History of Material Culture, and his colleagues.

‘A turning point was the discovery of the barley starch granules in the residue from the inner surface of one of the straws,’ Dr Trifonov explained.

‘This provided direct material evidence of the tubes from the Maikop kurgan being used for drinking.’

More specifically, the presence of the starch granules suggests that the straws were most likely used to drink beer — although the team cautioned that they were unable to confirm whether the barley itself had been fermented. 

‘If the interpretation is correct, these fancy devices would be the earliest surviving drinking straws to date,’ Dr Trifonov explained. 

‘Before having done this study, I would never have believed that in the most famous elite burial of the Early Bronze Age Caucasus, the main item would be neither weapons nor jewellery, but a set of precious beer-drinking straws,’ he added. 

The consumption of beer through long straws is known to have been a common practice from the 3rd millennium BC onwards in the Mesopotamian civilisation of Sumerian — with art showing people standing or sitting around a communal vessel.

The researchers found that the artefacts from Maikop kurgan bear several key similarities with such straws from Sumeria, despite having been separated by a distance of hundreds of miles.

Most notably, they sport metal strainers — a common feature in Sumerian straws — which would have helped them to filter out the impurities found in ancient beer.

Among the other artefacts recovered from the Maikop Kurgan was a large vessel which the team believe was used with the straws.

This container was large enough that, when completely filled, it could have held enough beer for eight people to share — and each drink seven pints.

The Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg has a collection of straws that were previously thought to be sceptres or poles for a canopy. Pictured: close-ups of parts of the straws, notably showing one of the narrow, perforated tips (far left)

The consumption of beer through long straws is known to have been a common practice from the 3rd millennium BC onwards in the Mesopotamian civilisation of Sumerian — with art showing people standing or sitting around a communal vessel (top right). Also pictured: drinking tubes and tip strainers from the Sumerian Royal Cemetery at Ur (left), Tell Asmar in Iraq (middle right) and Chagar Bazar in Syria (bottom right)

Drinking ceremonies were a common part of Sumeria’s royal funerary rituals. It is possible that lavish burials could have also taken place in the Caucuses, as the straws were found not only in the Maikop’s goods, but also in an exclusive position (as shown left). Right: The straws photographed in 1898

‘The finds contribute to a better understanding of the ritual banquets’ early beginnings — and drinking culture in hierarchical societies,’ said Dr Trifonov.

Furthermore, the team said, the study shines new light on the culture of Maikop, showing that it may have had deep ties with its southerly neighbours in Sumeria and, perhaps, a shared taste for the luxury and spectacle of drinking ceremonies. 

Sumeria was a country where drinking ceremonies are a part of the royal funerary rites. Given the discovery of the straws not only within the goods of the the Maikop burial mound, but in a prized position closed to the interred, it is possible that such lavish burials might also have taken places in the Caucuses as well. 

‘The finds contribute to a better understanding of the ritual banquets’ early beginnings — and drinking culture in hierarchical societies,’ said Dr Trifonov. Close-ups of three out of eight straw tips with silver holes from Maikop kurgan’s burial mound

While the Maikop kurgan artefacts may be the oldest-known straws to have survived to the present day, there is evidence to suggest that such tools were used for one– two millennia before this.

For example, seals from Iran and Iraq dating back to the fifth or fourth millennium BC depict long straws being used to drink from communal vessels.  

Antiquity has published all of the findings.  

The eight tubes — which date back more than 5,000 years — were first unearthed from Maikop kurgan, a Bronze Age burial mound in near Maikop in southern Russia (pictured), back in 1897

WHEN DIDN’T HUMANS START DRINKING BEER?

The consumption of alcohol has been a part of human history for a long time.

Although it is thought that Mesopotania’s primitive civilizations could have made malted barley scraps back in 10,000 BC, there is no evidence to support this belief.

Northern China, a 9,000-year-old region in China, has the earliest evidence of beer drinking.

This ancient drink was created using rice, honey and Chinese wild grapes.

Northern China is where the earliest evidence of beer-drinking was found 9,000 years ago.

To make it the corn was milled and moistened in the maker’s mouth to convert starches in the corn into fermentable sugars – before it was ‘spat’ into the beer.

Alcohol consumption may have helped individuals become more creative throughout history. It could also be a factor in the progress of religion, language, and art.

It is because alcohol reduces inhibitions which can make people more spiritual.

According to the papyrus scrolls it’s believed that Egyptians first brewed beer about 5,000 BC.

These were used to make dates, pomegranates, and other native herbs.

Around 3150 BC, Egyptians started using industrial-scale breweries for beer to supply the Giza workers.

Beer finally made it from the Middle East and Europe, thanks to an abundance in barley crops that provided plenty of raw ingredients for brewers.

Experts believe that there was a Bronze Age brew in Greece.

According to researchers, these ancient people were happy with alcohol drinks at all times of the year.

This water was not only nutritious, but it also offered a safer alternative to regular drinking water.

In the Middle Ages, malted barley was the primary source for fermented sugar. Beer became what we know today.