Spongy residue of uncooked bread, which dates back to 6,600 BC, was found near a structure that looked like an oven in Turkey. It is apparently the world’s oldest bread, according to archaeologists.
The story goes that 8,600 years ago, a baker in Turkey mixed flour and water to make bread dough but didn’t bake it. Experts say the find is a small loaf of bread with the impression of a finger pressed in the centre. While the bread was not baked, it had been fermented. Interestingly, it has survived till today with the starches intact inside.
Exciting find
Apparently, there is no similar example of something like this phenomenon so far. It is an exciting discovery for Turkey and the world.
Academicians involved in the find were very surprised. There is speculation whether bread dough could be an organic residue. The fact that there are grain residues and ground and broken pieces of plants such as barley, wheat and peas as well has caused considerable excitement.
Analysis showed that the item found had been mixed with water and flour, left for a while, fermented and left uncooked. The bread was preserved by the thin clay that covered the oven-like structure, according to sources.
According to Necmettin Erbakan University’s Science and Technology Research and Application Center, archaeologists discovered the oven-like structure at the Catalhoyuk archaeological site in the Konya province of southern Turkey.
The structure was found in an area called Mekan 66, which contains adjoining mud brick houses. Apart from the bread, wheat, barley, pea seeds, and a palm-sized food-like item were found at the site.
Also Read: If You Want Foods Rich In Protein, Look Beyond ‘Dal’
