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 near Kladina village in the Czech Republic. The bucket is dated to the ninth century BCE, and it is a unique artefact, having no parallel in Europe. Stylistically, it is a “transition type” dated between the Late Bronze Age (11 th –10 th century BCE) and the Hallstatt Period (eighth–sixth century BCE). Detailed palynological analysis of verdigris and soil infill of the bucket identified a wide range of pollen grains belonging mainly to herbs, with bitter‐sour properties, and cereals. Subsequent chemical analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of soil extracts revealed the presence of the compound miliacin that is a chemical marker of millet. Moreover, a starch analysis reveals the presence of enzymatically modified starch grains. These data, with the help of archaeological knowledge, indicate that the original content may have been millet‐based food/beverage with addition of herbs. We suggest that this luxury vessel, given the contents we have identified, was deposited, in the late spring/summer months of the year.