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Ancient drinking habits revealed as researchers uncover 4,000-year-old beer receipt
Researchers analyzing ancient cuneiform tablets recently unveiled a 4,000-year-old beer receipt — offering a rare glimpse into Mesopotamian beer culture.
The news was announced in a University of Copenhagen news release in April.
Mesopotamia, often called the “cradle of civilization,” was centered in parts of modern-day Iraq and Syria thousands of years ago.
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Researchers from the university and the National Museum of Denmark recently analyzed, identified and digitized the ancient texts as part of a joint project called “Hidden Treasures.”
The tablet had been sitting in the National Museum’s archives, and the release said the texts had not been studied in recent times.
Of particular interest is NMC 7962, a tablet detailing beer deliveries.
The beer tablet dates to the Ur III period, around 2112-2004 B.C.
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NMC 7962 was previously published by Danish Sumerologist Thorkild Jacobsen before researchers re-analyzed it during the digitization project.
Beer receipts were common administrative records in ancient Mesopotamia, said Troels Pank Arbøll, an associate professor of Assyriology at the University of Copenhagen.
Arbøll — the only professor who specializes in Assyriology at the university — told Fox News Digital the records were intended “to record how much beer was delivered or distributed by an institution.”
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“Beer was a central part of Mesopotamian culture from the invention of writing in the late 4th millennium BCE until the end of cuneiform culture,” he noted.
“It was considered an integral part of urbanized life.”
The receipt differentiates between high-quality and “ordinary” beer.
“The concrete example lists different types of beer delivered on two successive days: 16 liters of high-quality beer and 55 liters of ordinary beer, followed by 12 liters of high-quality beer and 40 liters of ordinary beer,” he said.
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One liter of beer is just under three standard 12-ounce beer cans — meaning that the delivery totaled over 30 gallons over two days.
“It is not clear from the text who exactly it was intended for, although it was received by the provincial governor, as his cylinder seal is impressed on the clay tablet in question,” Arbøll noted.
As for what the beer may have tasted like, Arbøll said there are some clues.
“Early on, most beer was produced on the basis of barley, though it could in some periods include, for example, date syrup or emmer wheat in the production process,” he said.
The drink also contained some sediment, and depictions show it being consumed through hollow reeds used as straws, he said.
Some have attempted to reproduce Mesopotamian beer, particularly at the University of Chicago, Arbøll said.
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Mesopotamian beer “was probably not high in alcohol, though it was nutritious,” he added.
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FBI hunts most wanted neighbor next door who allegedly faked cancer, scammed loved ones for luxury getaways
A Pennsylvania woman accused of faking terminal brain cancer to scam friends, family members and supporters out of thousands of dollars is among the FBI’s most wanted fugitives after authorities said she used the donations to fund luxury travel and vacations in Australia instead of medical treatment.
The FBI said on May 23 that it is still hunting for Vanessa O’Rourke, who has been on the run for years since she was indicted in 2018 for her suspected scheme.
Authorities allege O’Rourke, now 37, spent months convincing loved ones she was dying from glioblastoma, an aggressive and often fatal form of brain cancer, while claiming she desperately needed money for treatment, daily living expenses and experimental medical care overseas.
According to the FBI, O’Rourke told supporters that traditional treatment options had failed and that traveling to Australia for an experimental procedure represented her best chance at survival.
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Friends and family members reportedly rallied around her, donating money and organizing fundraisers to help what they believed was a young woman battling a terminal illness. But authorities say the cancer diagnosis was entirely fabricated.
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Investigators allege that between October 2015 and July 2016, O’Rourke used false claims about her health to obtain financial support from people close to her. Prosecutors say supporters provided money directly to O’Rourke and also helped organize fundraising efforts to cover what they believed were mounting medical costs.
In April 2016, O’Rourke traveled to Australia, allegedly telling loved ones she was receiving experimental treatment unavailable in the United States. Instead, according to federal authorities, she spent the trip engaging in sightseeing and recreational activities and received no medical treatment whatsoever.
After returning to the United States, investigators say O’Rourke continued the alleged scam by encouraging friends and family members to organize additional fundraising events on her behalf.
Authorities say a donation webpage was launched online and a fundraising benefit was held at a Pennsylvania restaurant, where supporters gathered to raise money for what they believed was O’Rourke’s ongoing cancer battle.
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Federal prosecutors allege the money raised during those efforts was later used to fund another trip to Australia in 2016, where O’Rourke again allegedly participated in leisure activities instead of receiving treatment for the illness investigators say never existed.
The alleged scheme eventually drew the attention of federal investigators.
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On May 3, 2018, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted O’Rourke on 15 counts of wire fraud. A federal warrant was issued for her arrest, and she remains wanted by the FBI.
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O’Rourke’s case is one of several high-profile “fake cancer” scams that have shocked communities in recent years, as fraudsters allegedly exploited sympathy, online fundraising platforms and emotional support networks for financial gain.
In recent years, several women across the United States and abroad have been accused or convicted of fabricating terminal illnesses while collecting money through fundraisers, crowdfunding pages and community events.
One of the most notorious cases involved California woman Amanda Riley, the subject of the hit “Scamanda” podcast and ABC docuseries, who admitted to faking cancer for years while receiving more than $100,000 in donations from supporters.
Like those cases, prosecutors allege O’Rourke’s scheme relied heavily on the trust and compassion of the people closest to her — friends, relatives and supporters who believed they were helping save someone’s life.
Authorities and fraud experts have warned that emotionally charged medical scams can be especially effective because they often target tight-knit communities eager to rally around someone they believe is fighting for survival.
The FBI is asking anyone with information about O’Rourke’s whereabouts to contact law enforcement.
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