Archaeologists in Turkey have made a groundbreaking discovery that sheds new light on the history of human culinary practices. In an excavation at the archaeological site of Çatalhöyük in the southern Turkish province of Konya, researchers unearthed the world’s oldest known bread, dating back to a staggering 8,600 years ago.
The remarkable find was made in an area known as “Mekan 66,” amidst the remnants of mudbrick houses, where a largely destroyed oven structure was uncovered. According to Turkey’s Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BİTAM), archaeologists found an intriguing assortment of seeds, including wheat, barley, and pea, alongside a palm-sized, round, “spongy” residue near the oven.
Through meticulous analysis, researchers determined that the organic residue was, in fact, uncooked, fermented bread—an astonishing relic from ancient times. Ali Umut Türkcan, the head of the Excavation Delegation and an associate professor at Anadolu University in Turkey, described the find as a smaller version of a loaf of bread, bearing the imprint of a finger pressed in the center. Despite being unbaked, the bread had undergone fermentation and remarkably survived through the ages with its starches intact—a phenomenon previously unseen.
Further examination using scanning electron microscope images revealed air spaces within the sample, with the presence of starch grains confirming its identity as bread. Salih Kavak, a biologist and lecturer at Gaziantep University in Turkey, noted the discovery of chemicals found in plants and indicators of fermentation, providing crucial insights into the bread-making process of antiquity.
The organic matter, including both wood and bread, was remarkably preserved by a thin layer of clay covering the structure. This preservation allowed researchers to delve into the ancient culinary practices of early human civilizations with unprecedented clarity.
