8,600-year-old bread found in Türkiye's ancient proto-city Çatalhöyük

An 8,600-year-old piece of bread has been found in a structure resembling an oven in Çatalhöyük, south-central Türkiye, one of the first places in the world where urban settlement has been recorded. Located in the Çumra district of Konya, Çatalhöyük, where approximately 8,000 people lived together during the Neolithic period, a structure resembling an oven was discovered in an area known as 'Space 66,' characterized by adobe houses with interconnected roofs accessed from above. Near the severely damaged oven, a palm-sized artifact was found containing wheat, barley, and pea seeds, likely used for food. Analyses conducted at the Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BITAM) of Necmettin Erbakan University in Konya revealed that the spongy residue identified as leavened bread dates back to 6600 BC. He highlighted the discovery in 2021, showcasing Turkish excavations' ability to identify organic residues through 'meticulous documentation and detailed studies.' He said, 'We can say that this finding in Çatalhöyük is the world's oldest bread. Considering observations, analyses, and dating, we estimate this organic residue to be approximately 8,600 years old. Türkcan emphasized the importance of analysis studies, noting that the university's laboratories' capability to conduct all analyses is a 'significant advantage.' Kavak recounted being informed of the organic discovery while examining plant residues in the laboratory. Kavak highlighted the need for chemical and physical analyses of the discovery to confirm their hypothesis. Kavak concluded that this 'unprecedented discovery' marks the oldest known bread-like specimen, sparking excitement in Türkiye and worldwide. 'With advanced technology, we could conduct these analyses at the BITAM central laboratory, leading to more accurate diagnoses,' he said. He added that the discovery of an 8,600-year-old bread residue at Çatalhöyük raised suspicions, which were confirmed through the analyses, indicating the sample's unbaked nature.

8,600-year-old bread found in Türkiye's ancient proto-city Çatalhöyük

Archaeologists have uncovered an 8,600-year-old loaf of bread within a structure that closely resembles an oven in Çatalhöyük, located in south-central Türkiye. This site is renowned for being one of the earliest known locations of urban settlement in the world.