The world’s oldest bread, dating back about 8,600 years, has been discovered in the Stone Age settlement of Çatal Hüyük in Anatolia, Turkey. Turkish Necmett Erbakan University made this announcement, stating that the bread was found in a furnace structure that was mostly destroyed. Wheat, barley, seeds, and a round, spongy residue were discovered in the oven.
Assistant professor Ali Umut Turkcan led the archaeological excavations and noted that the earliest remains of raised bread were previously found in Egypt. This find in Turkey is significant because it predates those remains. 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.
The bread had been mixed with water and flour then stored next to the oven. Biologist Salih Kavak called this discovery exciting for Turkey and the world as it sheds new light on ancient food preservation techniques and highlights the importance of Çatal Hüyük as an archaeological site that helped us understand early human civilizations. Çatal Hüyük has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012 and was home to a significant Stone Age settlement between 7500 and 6400 BC with a population of 5,000 to 10,000 people.
This discovery marks an incredible achievement for archaeologists who have long sought answers to how our ancestors baked bread without modern equipment or technology. It is also an important reminder of how food played a crucial role in early human societies, shaping their diets and cultures alike.