Archaeologists from Necmettin Erbakan University have announced the discovery of the world’s oldest known bread, dating from 6600 BC, at the famous Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkiye, central Anatolia (formerly Turkey).
Çatalhöyük is one of the largest and best preserved Neolithic settlements in the world.
The site is located southeast of the modern Turkish city of Konya, approximately 145 km (90 miles) from Mount Hasan.
Çatalhöyük began as a small settlement around 7500 BC, and may have consisted of a few adobe houses during what archaeologists call the Early Period.
The settlement reached its peak in the mid-6700-6500 BC period, rapidly declining in population during the later period, and was abandoned around 5950 BC.
Its inhabitants were early farmers, growing crops such as wheat and barley and raising sheep and goats.
Discovered by British archaeologist James Mellaart in the early 1960s, Çatalhöyük attracted worldwide attention for its large scale and well-preserved architecture.
Previous excavations at the site unearthed a vast number of artifacts and ancient structures, including a large mural depicting a town and two mountain peaks, sometimes called the world’s oldest map.
This is an artist’s impression of Çatalhöyük. Image credit: Dan Lewandowski.
Archaeologists from Necmettin Erbakan University have discovered an ancient building with an oven in the Mekan 66 area of Çatalhöyük in a new excavation.
Wheat, barley and pea seeds were found around the oven, as well as “spongy” organic residue.
Researchers determined that the residue was uncooked leavened bread.
“The small round ‘spongy’ residue found in the corner of the oven turned out to be bread,” said Dr. Ali Umut Türkan, an archaeologist at Necmettin Erbakan University.
“Because the building was covered with fine clay, both the wood and the bread were able to be preserved to this day.”
“We found that the bread had a porous and spongy structure and was not cooked,” added Dr. Yassin Ramazan Eker, also from Necmetin Erbakan University.
“The first known example of leavened bread was discovered in Egypt,” Dr. Turkan said.
“The newly discovered bread in Çatalalhöyük can be said to be the oldest bread in the world.”
Source: www.sci.news
