During archaeological excavations in Çatalhöyük, the remains of the world’s oldest bread were found. 8. 600-year-old discovery excites scientists.
Çatalhöyük, located in Çumra district of Konya,Turkey is one of the oldest settlements in the world. During archaeological excavations in the region, a structure dating back 8,200 years was recently uncovered and it was realized that there were graves under this structure.
The new findings were reached by uncovering a furnace structure in the area called “Space 66”, where adjacent mudbrick houses were located.
Although the oven was badly damaged, a palm-sized find containing foodstuffs such as wheat, barley and pea seeds was unearthed.
The analysis conducted by Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BİTAM) revealed that the residue in question was a fermented bread dating back to 6600 BC.
Remains of the World’s Oldest Bread Found at Çatalhöyük
“The small, round spongy find in the corner of the oven turned out to be bread after careful documentation. The fact that the structure was covered with a thin layer of clay allowed all of these organic remains, both wood and bread, to be preserved until today. Radio carbon tests conducted at the TUBITAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) showed that our sample can be dated back to approximately 6,600 BC.”
The First Leavened Bread Samples Were Egyptian
With the new discovery, Egypt, which has the first fermented samples in history, has handed over its throne to Turkey.
It was noted that the remains of the bread found in Çatalhöyük have survived to the present day together with its starch, and it was also pointed out that no other similar example has been found.
Thus, a new “first” has been added to the history of Çatalhöyük, from the world’s first weavings to the first wooden artifacts, from the first wall paints to the first paintings.
The post 8,600-Year Discovery: The World’s Oldest “Bread” Remains Uncovered at Çatalhöyük appeared first on NSF News and Magazine.