Turkish Necmett Erbakan University has announced a significant archaeological discovery in the Stone Age settlement of Çatal Hüyük in Anatolia, Turkey. The world’s oldest bread, dating back about 8,600 years, was found in a furnace structure that had mostly been destroyed.
Assistant professor Ali Umut Turkcan led the archaeological excavations and noted that the earliest remains of raised bread were previously found in Egypt. The bread found in Çatal Hüyük was a miniature version with a fingerprint in the center, indicating it was fermented for preservation purposes. Grain residues and signs of fermentation were also present in the bread, which had been mixed with water and flour then stored next to the oven.
Salih Kavak, a biologist who studied the bread, called it an exciting discovery for Turkey and the world. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012 and is significant as it was once a Stone Age settlement with a population of 5,000 to 10,000 people between 7500 and 6400 BC. This find sheds new light on ancient food preservation techniques and highlights the importance of this archaeological site in understanding early human civilizations.