A 2,400-year-old bone soup was discovered inside an ancient cooking vessel that was recently unearthed in Xi'an, the capital city of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to the local archaeology research institute, the "China Business News" reported.
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| An archaeologist takes an animal bone out of an unearthed bronze tripod on Friday, December 12, 2010.[Photo: ifeng.com] |
The discovery is the first of its kind in China.
The soup likely contains the foot bone, vertebra and rib of a chicken or small sheep, according to the archeologists.
The soup appears turbid, with green bronze scraps floating on the surface, and the bones partially tinged with green color.
Along with the bronze tripod cooking vessel, another bronze ware was unearthed containing a "mysterious" liquid thought to be alcohol.
Both were unearthed in a tomb in the northern region of the city that dates to the Warring States period (B.C.475-221). Archaeologists speculated it was a custom of that time to bury soup and alcoholic drinks along with the dead.
The miraculous preservation of the liquids is attributed to good sealing and dry conditions inside the tomb, according to the experts.
The bronze wares were kept in a niche that was much drier than the bottom area of the tomb, the report said.
Further investigation will reveal the ingredients in the liquids, the report said.
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