American and Egyptian archaeologists have unearthed what may be the oldest known brewery at one of ancient Egypt’s most prominent archaeological sites, a senior antiquities official said Saturday.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the factory was found in Abydos, an ancient cemetery located in the desert west of the Nile River, more than 450 kilometers (280 miles) south of Cairo.

He said the factory apparently dates back to the region of King Narmer, who is widely known for his unification of ancient Egypt at the beginning of the first dynastic period (3150 BC-2613 BC).

Archaeologists found eight huge units – each measuring 20 meters (about 65 feet) long and 2.5 meters (about 8 feet) wide.

Each unit includes about 40 ceramic pots in two rows, which had been used to heat a mixture of grains and water to produce beer, Waziri said.

The joint mission is co-chaired by Dr. Matthew Adams of the New York University Institute of Fine Arts and Deborah Vischak, assistant professor of Ancient Egyptian art history and archeology at Princeton University.

Adams said the factory was apparently built in this area to provide beer for royal rituals, as archaeologists found evidence showing the use of beer in ancient Egyptians’ sacrificial rites.

British archaeologists were the first to mention the existence of such a factory in the early 20th century, but were unable to determine its location, the Antiquities Ministry said.

With its vast cemeteries and temples from early ancient Egypt, Abydos was known for monuments honoring Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld and the deity responsible for judging souls in the afterlife.

The necropolis had been used in all periods of early Egyptian history, from prehistoric times to Roman times.

Egypt has announced dozens of ancient discoveries in recent years, hoping to attract more tourists.

The tourism industry has been recovering from the political upheaval that followed the popular uprising in 2011 that toppled the autocrat Hosni Mubarak. The sector also received a new blow last year from the coronavirus pandemic.

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