Beer-Drinking Straw
Copper
Tell Asmar
73 cm x 1.0 cm x 1.2 cm
A11291
Oriental Institute Museum
Beer-Drinking Straw
Beer, brewed from barley, was an important part of the ancient Mesopotamian diet. Because it contained a lot of floating residue, beer was either strained or drunk through a metal straw, such as this one, with a perforated end that acted as a filter.
Collected by
Henri Frankfort, Field Director of the Iraq Expedition
Excavated by The Oriental Institute 1932-1933
Multimedia
What is Conservation?
Ever wonder what a conservator does? Oriental Institute Museum conservator Laura Laura D'Alessandro tells you all about her job in this video.
Suggested Readings
Hunter, Erica. First Civilizations: Cultural Atlas for Young People. New York: Facts on File, 1994.
Kramer, Samuel Noah. Cradle of Civilization. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1967.
Roaf, Michael. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. New York: Facts on File, 1990.