In an extraordinary discovery, archaeologists have unearthed the world’s oldest bread in the ancient settlement of Çatal Hüyük in Anatolia, Turkey. The bread, dating back to approximately 8,600 years ago, was found in an oven structure that had been mostly destroyed. Researchers from Turkish Necmett Erbakan University studied the bread and described it as “fermented bread from the year 6600 BCE.”
The earliest known remains of raised bread were previously discovered in Egypt. However, the bread found in Turkey was a miniature version, with a fingerprint-like imprint in the center. Unlike previous findings, this bread had not been baked but instead had been fermented for preservation purposes – a technique that had not previously been discovered. Grain residues and signs of fermentation were found within the bread, which had been mixed with water and flour and kept near the oven.
The organic material of the ancient bread had been preserved under a thin layer of clay for thousands of years. This discovery was described as exciting for Turkey and the world by biologist Salih Kavak, who studied the bread. Çatal Hüyük, where the bread was found, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. The Stone Age settlement was a significant center around 7500–6400 BC, where around 5,000-10,000 people lived.
