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Chemical traces absorbed into medieval Sicilian amphorae support the conclusion that wine production continued under Islamic rule, while finds of Sicilian vessels in places such as Sardinia and Pisa point to exports beyond the island. The evidence reveals production and trade—not who drank the wine. Researchers reached that conclusion by interpreting residue chemistry alongside the vessels’ archaeological context.
How pottery can preserve evidence of wine
Even after a container is emptied, organic compounds from its contents can remain absorbed in the ceramic fabric. Researchers examined tartaric and malic acids in pottery residues. Their relative levels can help identify grape products, but chemistry alone cannot distinguish wine from other products made from grapes, including juice, raisins or vinegar.
To interpret the traces, the team combined chemical analysis with information about the amphorae and where they were found. The University of York account says researchers also compared archaeological sherds with ceramic fragments soaked in wine and degraded in soil; the resulting traces were consistent with wine production. Dr Léa Drieu, a postdoctoral research assistant in the University of York’s Department of Archaeology, said the team developed new techniques to distinguish grape traces from those of other fruits, and that residues in amphorae from Sicily, Palermo and elsewhere showed contents that were “almost certainly wine.” University of York
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The study examined more than 100 amphorae produced or imported into Sicily over a span from the fifth to the eleventh centuries, according to Chemistry World’s 2021 account. That range covers both the period before Islamic rule and the centuries when Sicily was governed by Muslim rulers; it does not mean every vessel analyzed dates to the Islamic period.
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| Evidence | What it supports |
|---|---|
| Amphorae from a fifth- to eleventh-century study sample | A comparison across pre-Islamic and Islamic periods, not a sample made up exclusively of Islamic-period vessels. Chemistry World, 2021 |
| Ninth- to eleventh-century Sicilian amphorae found in Sardinia and Pisa | Movement of Sicilian vessels beyond the island, consistent with Mediterranean export. University of York |
Sicily produced wine before the ninth century, when it was under Byzantine rule. The island had come under Islamic rule by 902, and Norman forces took it in the late eleventh century. The researchers interpret the later evidence as a shift from an earlier pattern more centered on imported wine and consumption toward local production and export. The vessel distribution supports trade beyond Sicily, but the sources do not provide a trade-volume series or quantify how much exports grew.
What the evidence does not establish about drinking
Wine production and exchange do not show that Sicily’s Muslim population consumed it. The University of York account reports no evidence that members of the Muslim community drank the wine, and notes that demonstrating alcohol consumption archaeologically is difficult. Amphorae and their residues can indicate what was produced or transported; they do not identify the people who used or consumed the contents.
Why residue evidence needs careful interpretation
Residues are not immune to change after burial. Archaeologist Hans Barnard, who was not involved in the study, told Chemistry World that tartaric and malic acids dissolve readily in water and can leach out of pottery, while microbial activity can alter their ratio. He noted that careful selection of artifacts can help manage these problems.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAccordingly, the finding rests on a combination of chemical traces, comparison material and archaeological context—not a claim that an acid test by itself proves a vessel held wine. Professor Oliver Craig, director of BioArCh at the University of York, described the test as “quick and reliable” in the university’s account, but that institutional characterization should not be read as a universal performance estimate. The accessible accounts do not establish detection limits, sensitivity or specificity.
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The historical significance
The study adds chemical evidence to the picture of an island economy that continued to produce and trade wine during Islamic rule. Sicilian amphorae found beyond the island strengthen the case for Mediterranean exchange. The result is significant precisely because it separates an economic conclusion from a religious or social one: evidence for wine in the trade does not establish who drank it.
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