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A team of researchers from Anadolu University uncovered a loaf of bread in the Neolithic proto-city of Çatal Höyük.
The excavations at this proto-city, a settlement that combined urban and rural characteristics, are 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. Researchers described the object as unrecognizable at first, resembling a sponge. Analysis revealed that this was fermented bread that the ancient inhabitants of the proto-city might have eaten it as far back as 6600 B.C. It could be the oldest bread yet found. IFLScience reported that the find was remarkably well-preserved.
“Upon closer examination, it became clear that the small, round, sponge-like object 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. Starch was preserved inside the bread. Dr. Türkkan said, “There is no other example like this in the world.”
Radiocarbon tests at the Scientific and Technological Research and Application Center of Necmettin Erbakan University dated the sample 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 earliest centers of urbanization. At various times, it housed between 6,000 and 8,000 people, a significant population for that era. However, the city lacked the centralized planning and governance typical of later urban centers.
Previous archaeological studies have shown that the economy of the proto-city was based on agriculture and animal husbandry. Residents cultivated wheat, barley, legumes, almonds, and fruit. They also hunted wild animals. Obsidian tools and weapons were often traded for seafood and flint. Researchers believe the population of Çatal Höyük was among the first in the world 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 to 14,400 years ago in the Black Desert in northeastern Jordan. However, when it comes to more complex baked goods that involve leavening, the find in Çatal Höyük may indeed be the oldest loaf.
