Vischak and Team Identify World’s Oldest Industrial-Scale Brewery at Abydos, Egypt

February 17, 2021
Deborah Vischak (right) and Matthew Adams (center) co-directors of the North Abydos Archaeological project, discuss the breweries with team member Kay Barnett. Photo: Ayman Damarany for the North Abydos Project

A team of American and Egyptian archaeologists excavating at the site of Abydos in southern Egypt has uncovered evidence of the world’s oldest known industrial-scale beer production facility. The ancient complex, more than 5,000 years old, had the capacity to produce enough beer to serve thousands of people in a single batch.

Deborah Vischak, assistant professor of Art and Archeology, co-leads the North Abydos Project with Matthew Adams, senior research scholar at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. The two scholars are specialists in the archaeology and art history of ancient Egypt.

Read the full story on the University homepage.

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