Chinese archeologists have said that an ancient bronze jar excavated in the Three Gorges area might contain wine made 2,000 years ago.

The four-legged, tightly sealed vessel was discovered in a burial ground of the Ba people in Yunyang County near this western China municipality while the archaeologists were carrying out work to save articles of historical interest before they are inundated by the Three Gorges Dam.

Huang Wei, professor of Sichuan University and discoverer of the jar, said that it clearly contains liquid, most probably some kind of wine.

He added that there are no plans to open the jar until the experts are sure that this can be done without spoiling the contents.

The ancient Ba people are believed to have lived around the Three Gorges and present-day Chongqing City about 3,000 years ago.

Archeological experts have known very little about the Ba people.

(People’s Daily 09/03/2001)