Age-old refrigerator discovered in Turkey's Elazığ province

A farmer in eastern Turkey uncovered a pre-modern food storage device on Wednesday while plowing his field.

The device, dating back to the late 1700s, was taken under protection by the Archeology and Ethnography Museum of Elazığ province, according to local officials.

"It is a natural refrigerator produced under contemporary conditions to preserve food for people centuries ago," Baskil District Mayor Ihsan Akmurat said.

The interior of the 1.4 meter-tall (4.6 feet) container is plastered with concrete mortar, and the exterior made of red clay to hold sustain humidity keep food fresh in the compartment.

Akmurat noted that the discovery shows the region was once an important residential area.