‘World’s oldest bread,’ dating back 8,600 years, discovered in Turkey | CNN (2024)

‘World’s oldest bread,’ dating back 8,600 years, discovered in Turkey | CNN (1)

The 8,600-year-old bread was found at the Neolithic archeological site of Çatalhöyük, a UNESCO World Heritage site, at Cumra district in Konya, Turkey.

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Archeologists in Turkey say they have discovered the world’s oldest known bread, dating back to 6600 BC.

A largely destroyed oven structure was found in an area called “Mekan 66,” where there are adjoining mudbrick houses, at the archeological site of Çatalhöyük in the southern Turkish province of Konya, according to Turkey’s Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BİTAM).

Around the oven, archeologists found wheat, barley, pea seeds and a palm-sized, round, “spongy” residue, it said in a press release Wednesday.

Analyses determined that the organic residue was 8,600-year-old, uncooked, fermented bread.

“We can say that this find at Çatalhöyük is the oldest bread in the world,” archeologist Ali Umut Türkcan, head of the Excavation Delegation and an associate professor at Anadolu University in Turkey, told Turkish state news outlet Anadolu Agency Wednesday.

“It is a smaller version of a loaf of bread. It has a finger pressed in the center, it has not been baked, but it has been fermented and has survived to the present day with the starches inside. There is no similar example of something like this to date,” he added.

Scanning electron microscope images showed air spaces in the sample, with the sighting of starch grains “eliminating our suspicions,” biologist Salih Kavak, a lecturer at Gaziantep University in Turkey, said in the release.

He added that analyses uncovered chemicals found in plants and indicators of fermentation. Flour and water had been mixed in, with the bread having been prepared next to the oven and kept for a while.

“It is an exciting discovery for Turkey and the world,” Kavak said.

The organic matter – both wood and bread – was preserved by thin clay that covered the structure, according to Türkcan.

Çatalhöyük, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, was home to approximately 8,000 people during the Neolithic period, between around 10,000 BC to 2,000 BC, and is one of the world’s first places of urbanization, according to BITAM.

Research at the well-preserved site has revealed distinctive housing layouts and extensive features such as wall paintings and reliefs – causing it to be considered “the most significant human settlement documenting early settled agricultural life of a Neolithic community,” according to the UNESCO website.

“Çatalhöyük was already the center of many firsts. The world’s first weavings were already in Çatalhöyük when it was excavated. Wooden artifacts were also in Çatalhöyük. Wall paints and paintings were added to this. Konya and Turkey are very lucky in this sense,” Türkcan said.

‘World’s oldest bread,’ dating back 8,600 years, discovered in Turkey | CNN (2024)

FAQs

‘World’s oldest bread,’ dating back 8,600 years, discovered in Turkey | CNN? ›

Archaeologists from Necmettin Erbakan University say they have discovered the world's oldest known bread, dating back to 6600 BCE, at Çatalhöyük, a renowned Neolithic settlement in central Anatolia, Türkiye (formerly Turkey). The 8,600-year-old bread found at Çatalhöyük in Türkiye.

How old is the world's oldest bread? ›

8,600 years ago, a baker in Turkey mixed flour and water to make bread dough, pressed it to check its readiness and then didn't bake it. This particular bread that was left uncooked near an oven has now been dubbed as the world's oldest by archaeologists.

Where was the first bread found? ›

Archaeobotanical evidence reveals the origins of bread 14,400 years ago in northeastern Jordan. The origins of bread have long been associated with the emergence of agriculture and cereal domestication during the Neolithic in southwest Asia.

What was ancient bread like? ›

In her research, Farrell Monaco notes that panis quadratus dough likely weighed 1.3 kilograms or 4 Roman libre and it was probably made with “common wheat” or triticum aestivum. The bread might have also included parsley and seeds like nigella, poppy, sesame, fennel, and anise.

What is the oldest archaeological find ever? ›

Göbekli Tepe is the oldest significant site for humans to ever have been discovered, beaten in age only by a stone wall in Greece. Its age is only made more impressive by the sheer complexity of the site. Excavations have been ongoing for the last 24 years and experts say they could continue for decades more.

What is 1000 years older than Göbekli Tepe? ›

Also known as Beaded Field, Boncuklu Tarla was recently discovered to be at least 1,000 years older than Gobeklitepe in Mardin, Southeast Turkey. Specifically, it's estimated that this site is at least 12,000 years old!

What bread has the longest lifespan? ›

Sourdough bread: Sourdough bread can last for up to a week at room temperature, but may become stale faster than other bread types. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Rye bread: Rye bread tends to be more dense and have a longer shelf life than other bread types.

When did humans first eat bread? ›

10,000 BC. There is extensive evidence of bread being made and consumed in Egypt some 10,000 years ago during the Neolithic period. Bread was a staple of Egyptian food and everyone from the pharaoh to peasants consumed it.

What is the average lifespan of bread? ›

Bread has a short shelf life, lasting just 3–7 days at room temperature. Proper sealing and storage, as well as using the refrigerator or freezer when needed, can help prevent mold and increase shelf life. If you see mold, you should throw away the whole loaf, as mold can produce harmful mycotoxins.

How did they bake bread in Bible times? ›

Bread was baked in small domed clay ovens, or tabun. Archaeologists have excavated ancient ovens which were usually made by encircling clay coils or from re-used pottery jars. The oven was heated on the interior using dung for fuel; flat breads were baked against the interior side walls.

How did they make bread before yeast? ›

The most common source of leavening in antiquity was to retain a piece of dough from the previous day to utilize as a form of sourdough starter. Pliny the Elder reported that the Gauls and Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer to produce "a lighter kind of bread than other peoples".

What is the bread that Jesus ate? ›

Thus many theologians conclude that Christ would have used unleavened bread. St. John, in his rendition of the Gospel, says that the Last Supper took place the night before the feast of Unleavened Bread (cf. Jn 13), and some scholars argue that the bread would have been leavened.

Was ancient bread healthier? ›

What should we know about ancient grains? An ancient grain hasn't been refined like white rice, white bread, or white flour. Thus, they tend to be higher in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and zinc because they haven't been stripped. They're also a good source of fiber.

Where did ancient people get yeast for bread? ›

It started in Egypt

Researchers speculate that a mixture of flour meal and water was left longer than usual on a warm day and the yeasts that occur in natural contaminants of the flour caused it to ferment before baking. Bread was the most important part of the ancient Egyptian diet.

What did archaeologists find at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey? ›

Discovered in 1994 by the German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, Gobekli Tepe is composed of pillars formed into concentric rings built on top of each other. It is the oldest manmade religious complex ever discovered, and its use has been dated as far back as 9600 B.C.E.

What is the oldest archaeological find in Turkey? ›

Göbekli Tepe (Turkish: [ɟœbecˈli teˈpe], 'Potbelly Hill'; Kurdish: Girê Mirazan or Xirabreşkê, 'Wish Hill') is a Neolithic archaeological site in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. The settlement was inhabited from c. 9500 to at least 8000 BCE, during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic.

Did archaeologists find 5000 year old tavern -- including food remains -- in Iraq? ›

Archaeologists uncover 5,000-year-old tavern and "beer recipe" on tablet in Iraq. Archaeologists in southern Iraq have uncovered the remains of a tavern dating back nearly 5,000 years they hope will illuminate the lives of ordinary people in the world's first cities.

What is the famous archeological site in Anatolia thought to be 9000 years old? ›

Located in the Germuş mountains of south-eastern Anatolia, this property presents monumental round-oval and rectangular megalithic structures erected by hunter-gatherers in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic age between 9,600 and 8,200 BCE.

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