It has been determined that the organic residue is 8,600 years old
In a groundbreaking discovery, Turkish archaeologists have discovered what they believe is the oldest bread in the world. The discovery dates back to an impressive 6600 BC at the archaeological site of Catalhoyuk in the Konya province in southern Turkey.
The bread remnants were found near a partially destroyed oven structure in an area called “Mekan 66”, which is surrounded by ancient mud-brick houses.according to a Press release Research from Turkey’s Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BITAM) showed that the bread appeared to be round, spongy remains and was identified through analysis.
The organic residue was determined to be 8,600-year-old uncooked yeast bread. CNN reported.
“We can say that in Catalhoyuk,” archaeologist Ali Umut Turkcan, head of the excavation team and an associate professor at Turkey’s Anadolu University, told Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu Agency on Wednesday. This discovery is the oldest bread in the world.”
“It’s a smaller version of bread. It has a finger press in the center, it’s not baked, but it has been fermented and preserved to this day and has starch in it. There are no similar examples to date of anything like that,” he added.
Microscopic analysis confirmed the team’s suspicions. Scanning electron microscopy images show air spaces and identifiable starch granules within the sample. The discovery “clears our doubts about the bread’s authenticity,” biologist Saleh Kavak of Turkey’s Gaziantep University explained in a press release.
Further analysis revealed the chemical composition of the samples, including plant material and fermentation indicators. This indicates that flour and water are mixed to form a dough, which is then prepared near the oven and possibly stored for a period of time.
“This is an exciting discovery for Turkey and the world,” Kavak said.
Archaeologist Turkan explains that the thin layer of clay that enveloped the structure acted as a preservative for organic materials such as wood and bread.
