A team of researchers from Anadolu University has uncovered a loaf of bread in the Neolithic proto-city of Çatal Höyük.
The excavations of this proto-city, a settlement that combined urban and rural characteristics, are located in southern Anatolia, about 50 kilometers from the city of Konya. Archaeologists found remnants of fermented bread near a ruined oven at the site known as “Mekan 66.” Nearby, they discovered scattered wheat, barley, and peas. As the researchers later described, what they encountered was something unrecognizable, resembling a sponge. Analysis revealed that this was fermented bread that the ancient inhabitants of the proto-city might have consumed as far back as 6600 B.C. This could potentially be the oldest bread in the world. The find was remarkably well-preserved, according to IFLScience.
“Upon closer examination, it became clear that the small, round, sponge-like find in the corner of the oven was bread,” said Dr. Ali Umut Türkkan, the excavation leader from Anadolu University. He noted that it was a miniature version of a loaf, with a fingerprint impression visible in the center. Inside the bread, starch was preserved. According to the scientist, “there is no other example like this in the world.”
Radiocarbon tests conducted at the Scientific and Technological Research and Application Center of Necmettin Erbakan University indicated that “the sample can be dated to around 6600 B.C.,” Dr. Türkkan reported.
What the Proto-City of Çatal Höyük Was Like
Çatal Höyük is a UNESCO World Heritage site that researchers consider one of the first centers of global urbanization. At various times, it housed between 6,000 to 8,000 people, which was quite a significant population for that era. However, the city lacked the centralized planning and governance typical of urban environments.
Previous archaeological studies have shown that the economy of the proto-city was based on agriculture and animal husbandry. They cultivated wheat, barley, legumes, almonds, and fruits. The residents actively hunted wild animals. Tools and weapons were primarily made from obsidian, and these items were often traded for seafood and flint. Interestingly, scientists believe that the population of Çatal Höyük was among the first in the world to learn how to smelt copper.
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Other researchers may dispute the Turkish team’s claim that this sample of baked goods is the oldest ever found. In 2018, archaeologists discovered the remains of a flatbread dating back 14,400 years in the Black Desert in northeastern Jordan. However, when it comes to more complex baked goods that involve leavening, the find in the proto-city of Çatal Höyük may indeed be the oldest loaf.