Celtic Brewers Malt Barley at Hochdorf

Around 500 BCE, people at the early Iron Age settlement of Eberdingen-Hochdorf in present-day southwestern Germany deliberately malted hulled barley. Archaeologists found large concentrations of evenly germinated and subsequently charred barley grains in six elongated ditches. The purity and consistent germination of the grain indicate controlled malting rather than accidental sprouting. The ditches may have been used for germinating the barley or for drying and roasting the resulting malt. Archaeobotanist Hans-Peter Stika concluded that the malt was most probably intended for brewing beer, although the excavation did not preserve the complete brewing process or the finished drink itself. The discovery provides rare physical evidence for specialized beer production among early Iron Age communities in Central Europe.