With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Ancient Greeks 'loved a good night in' say researchers

A new analysis of archaeological remains could explain why evidence of ancient Greek bar rooms is so elusive.

In classical Greek plays there are many descriptions of lively drinking dens, but no remains have ever been discovered.

Clare Kelly Blazeby, from the University of Leeds, believes the reason is that ancient Greek homes doubled as pubs.

Several houses dotted around ancient Greece dating from 475 to 323BC have yielded the remains of numerous drinking cups.

Experts have assumed that they were wealthy residences. But Miss Blazeby believes a more likely explanation is that the house owners regularly sold wine.

Her analysis suggests many of the houses had hundreds of cups – far too many for entertaining ordinary guests, New Scientist magazine reported.
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)