World’s Oldest Fermented Bread, Dated to 6,600 BC, Found at Çatalhöyük

Published 7 Mar 2024

During excavations two years ago at the famous ancient Anatolian city of Çatalhöyük, archaeologists uncovered a large furnace-like structure that would have been used as a communal oven. They also found traces of vegetable and food remains inside the structure, including an unusual spongy residue with a curious texture. Testing carried out at the Necmettin Erbaken University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BİTAM) revealed that this strange substance was actually the remains of fermented bread, which radiocarbon dating revealed was made originally around 6,600 BC!

Çatalhöyük is the world’s oldest bread,” Ali Umut Türkcan, an archaeologist at Anadolu University and the leader of the excavation team that discovered the bread, told the Anadolu Agency. “Considering observations, analyses and dating, we estimate this organic residue to be approximately 8,600 years old.”

The researchers from BİTAM were able to determine that this was a commonly produced bread, small in size and likely consumed regularly by a significant portion of the 7-10,000 people who resided in Çatalhöyük in 6600 BC. Interestingly, the bread had not actually been made in the large oven inside which it was found.

“It’s a miniature version of a loaf of bread,” Turkcan explained. “It hasn’t been baked in the oven but has fermented, preserving the starches. Such an example hasn’t existed until now.”

Technically speaking, Türkcan’s assertion about the newly discovered bread being the world’s oldest is incorrect. Several years ago archaeologists found scraps of what was identified as flatbread at a 14,000-year-old hunter-gatherer site in Jordan known as Shubayqa. And more recently there was a report of bread of 34,000 years old in Australia.

But the new discovery does seem to be the oldest form of fermented bread ever found, which does give the Çatalhöyük “artifact” a certain distinction.

Still More Wonders Found at the Ancient City of Çatalhöyük

If it were still standing today, the dense, honeycomb-shaped city of Çatalhöyük on the Konya Plain in Turkey’s Cumra district would be recognized as one of the true wonders of the ancient world.

Occupied from approximately 7,500 to 6,400 BC, this remarkable urban housing project was comprised exclusively of mudbrick domestic buildings or homes, which were so closely packed together that it was possible to travel across the city by hopping from roof to roof (which is exactly what its residents did, since they would have to climb down ladders to enter someone’s home at ground level). Çatalhöyük was spread out over just 34 acres (14 hectares) of land, and the only way to fit as many as 10,000 people into such a small space was to follow the development plan the city’s leaders adopted.

The combined rooftops of the hundreds of structures in Çatalhöyük likely functioned as a public plaza or square, where people shared communal feasts that were cooked or baked in community ovens and kitchens. The furnace structure unearthed during the recent excavations was found in an area known as Mekan 66, and was surrounded by mudbrick homes on all sides.

The fermented bread was not the only organic substance found near the oven. Archaeologists also collected the remains of wheat, barley and pea seeds, as might be expected in what would have been a busy location where foods of all types were constantly being prepared 8,000 years ago.

According to Ali Umut Türkcan, the discovery of the food remains at Çatalhöyük highlights the progress being made in the growing field of food archaeology.

"We need to say that the starting point of food archeology is Anatolia,” he stated in a BİTAM press release. “Çatalhöyük is one of the very important stops here.”

The bread and other organic residues were originally discovered in 2021. There was a thin clay layer covering the large furnace, and it was this that kept the organic substances preserved for thousands of years.

“With meticulous documentation, we identified the small, round, spongy artifact found in the oven corner as bread,” Türkcan said. “Radiocarbon tests at TUBITEK Marmara Research Center (MAM) suggested our sample could date back to around 6,600 BC.”

Türkcan praised the breakthrough work performed by the experts at BiTAM, who are on the leading edge of research in food archaeology.

"It is a great chance to be able to conduct all full-fledged analyses in the laboratories of Necmettin Erbakan University,” he declared. “It was important because it was presented for the first time in laboratories in Turkey."

Speaking as a representative of the university, Dr. Oguz Dogan explained how they identified the mysterious substance as bread.

“In this study in Çatalhöyük, our professors guessed that a residue they found might be bread and contacted us to analyze it,” he explained. “We took the sample and conducted comprehensive analysis with high-tech devices at our university's Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BİTAM), and determined that the sample was the oldest bread in the world. We attach importance to the fact that both the excavation team and the analysis team are in the same region and that this [was] accomplished with local resources.”

The installation identified as Mekan 66 is not the first communal oven or kitchen found at Çatalhöyük. The advances in organic residue analysis demonstrated by the scientists at BİTAM may lead to a reexamination of some of these other sites, to see if any organic residues may have been overlooked during past explorations. If they have been, it may be possible to collect samples and perform the same type of analysis on that led to the discovery of the world’s oldest surviving fermented bread.

Top image: The fragment of bread retrieved from an oven in Çatalhöyük. Source: Erbakan

By Nathan Falde

Section:

News

History & Archaeology

History

Ancient Traditions

Tags:

archaeology

food

bread

Çatalhöyük

Neolithic

TOP NEW STORIES

General view of the excavation of Beaumont Abbey in Indre-et-Loire. Source: © Mathilde Noël/Inrap

Beaumont Abbey: Unveiling the Home of Benedictine Nuns

In an ambitious archaeological endeavor, Beaumont Abbey, located in Indre-et-Loire, France, has been fully excavated, revealing layers of history dating back 800 years.

Tudor Intrigues and Intricacies - A Royal Guard’s Journal

World’s Oldest Fermented Bread, Dated to 6,600 BC, Found at Çatalhöyük

The Civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia Explained (Video)

Paleolithic Tools Prove Hominins Were in Europe 1.4 Million Years Ago

Copper Age Settlement Shows Evidence of Accidental Ritual Mercury Abuse

MYTHS & LEGENDS

The Coming Gnostic Civilization, and his most recent book, Sedona: City of the Star People.

The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend – Part I

What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds

Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess?

Babylon’s Temple of Ninmakh, the Mesopotamian Goddess of Humankind

The Legendary Emerald Tablet and its Secrets of the Universe

Santa’s Horned Helper: The Fearsome Legend of Krampus, Christmas Punisher

What is Shambhala? Understanding the Mysterious Kingdom of Shambhala

HUMAN ORIGINS

Stone Paleolithic tool possibly from Layer VII at Korolevo I. Surface find. Source: Roman Garba / Nature

Paleolithic Tools Prove Hominins Were in Europe 1.4 Million Years Ago

After five decades of speculation about their true origin, ancient stone tools removed from the archaeological site of Korolevo in western Ukraine have been successfully dated for the first time.

The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend – Part I

Babylon’s Temple of Ninmakh, the Mesopotamian Goddess of Humankind

What Really Happened to the Canaanites? (Video)

The Origins of Human Beings According to Ancient Sumerian Texts

How Taming Fire Changed Everything for Early Humans (Video)

ANCIENT TECHNOLOGY

Stone Paleolithic tool possibly from Layer VII at Korolevo I. Surface find. Source: Roman Garba / Nature

Paleolithic Tools Prove Hominins Were in Europe 1.4 Million Years Ago

After five decades of speculation about their true origin, ancient stone tools removed from the archaeological site of Korolevo in western Ukraine have been successfully dated for the first time.

1,000-Year-Old Sword with Potential Viking Link Recovered From Polish River

Weapons of Germanic Tribes from Roman Era Discovered in Poland

The Verona Astrolabe Reveals A History of Islamic – Jewish Scientific Exchange

Bronze Age Pits in Switzerland Reveal Secrets of Clay Production

6 Advanced Ancient Inventions Beyond Modern Understanding

ANCIENT PLACES

The secret staircase at la Casa del Rey Moro in Ronda. Source: Ingo Bartussek / Adobe Stock

‘Moorish King's House’ Had a Secret Staircase to Survive Sieges

Nestled within the rugged landscape of Ronda, Spain, lies a hidden gem of ancient ingenuity: La Casa del Rey Moro, or the House of the Moorish King.

Everything You Need to Know About the Renaissance Period (Video)

The Lost Tribe of Clover Hollow – Oldest Civilization in the World Found in Appalachian Mountains?

The Civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia Explained (Video)

Craniums and Controversies of the Chachapoya Cloud Warriors

Babylon’s Temple of Ninmakh, the Mesopotamian Goddess of Humankind

OPINION

Deriv; Google Earth Saint Croix Basin, Artist’s concept of Underwater Ruins. Image of fish. Source: (Anthony Jauneaud/flickr, (Saramarielin/flickr)

The Saint Croix Basin, an Irrigation Marvel for a Forgotten Civilization?

In my previous two-part article titled "The Exceptional Cuban Underwater City," I argued that the existence of a city at a depth of over 2,000 feet (609 m) below sea level off the coast of Cuba.

Cracking the Code to Discover Ancient Tarot Symbolism and Forgotten Universal Knowledge

Naupa Iglesia: An Egyptian Portal in the Andes?

The Truth Behind the Christ Myth: Ancient Origins of the Often Used Legend – Part I

Library in Stone: The Ica Stones of Professor Cabrera – Part I

Two Sides to Every Story: The North American Martyrs Shrines and Indigenous/ Roman Catholic Relations

OUR MISSION

At Ancient Origins, we believe that one of the most important fields of knowledge we can pursue as human beings is our beginnings. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there exist countless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts that have yet to be discovered and explained.

The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe.

We’re the only Pop Archaeology site combining scientific research with out-of-the-box perspectives.

By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings.

ANCIENT IMAGE GALLERIES

Ciudad Perdida (Photo by Ancient-Origins.net)

Funerary Mask - Museum of Gold, Bogota, Colombia

Tayos Caves unknown entrance

Disclaimer - Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy - Submissions - Contact us

A project of Stella Novus

x

Skip to main content

Menu

Ancient Origins

User Menu

NewsHuman OriginsHistoryArtifactsMythsPlacesUnexplainedWeird FactsForumsAboutSubmissionsPremiumAppToursAncestry DNAFree EbooksMagazineVideosShopCourses

LOGIN

REGISTER FREE

PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP

CONTACT

Greek Mythology

Norse Mythology

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Rome

Ancient Mesopotamia

All

Search across 12,000+ articles

Home / News / History & Archaeology / World’s Oldest Fermented Bread, Dated to 6,600 BC, Found at Çatalhöyük

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

The fragment of bread retrieved from an oven in Çatalhöyük. Source: Erbakan

UPDATED 6 MARCH, 2024 - 21:48 NATHAN FALDE

World’s Oldest Fermented Bread, Dated to 6,600 BC, Found at Çatalhöyük

READ LATER PRINT

During excavations two years ago at the famous ancient Anatolian city of Çatalhöyük, archaeologists uncovered a large furnace-like structure that would have been used as a communal oven. They also found traces of vegetable and food remains inside the structure, including an unusual spongy residue with a curious texture. Testing carried out at the Necmettin Erbaken University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BİTAM) revealed that this strange substance was actually the remains of fermented bread, which radiocarbon dating revealed was made originally around 6,600 BC!

“We can say that this finding in

Çatalhöyük is the world’s oldest bread,” Ali Umut Türkcan, an archaeologist at Anadolu University and the leader of the excavation team that discovered the bread, told the Anadolu Agency. “Considering observations, analyses and dating, we estimate this organic residue to be approximately 8,600 years old.”

Revelations From Çatalhöyük: A 9,000-year-old Community With Modern Urban Problems

Australian Aboriginals Have Been Baking Bread for 34,000+ Years!

Excavations at Çatalhöyük, the oldest town of Anatolia. (GeniusMinus/Adobe Stock)

The researchers from BİTAM were able to determine that this was a commonly produced bread, small in size and likely consumed regularly by a significant portion of the 7-10,000 people who resided in Çatalhöyük in 6600 BC. Interestingly, the bread had not actually been made in the large oven inside which it was found.

“It’s a miniature version of a loaf of bread,” Turkcan explained. “It hasn’t been baked in the oven but has fermented, preserving the starches. Such an example hasn’t existed until now.”

Technically speaking, Türkcan’s assertion about the newly discovered bread being the world’s oldest is incorrect. Several years ago archaeologists found scraps of what was identified as flatbread at a 14,000-year-old hunter-gatherer site in Jordan known as Shubayqa. And more recently there was a report of bread of 34,000 years old in Australia.

But the new discovery does seem to be the oldest form of fermented bread ever found, which does give the Çatalhöyük “artifact” a certain distinction.

First hemp-weaved fabric in the World found wrapped around baby in 9,000-year-old house

Ancient Dead Buried In Their Homes In Çatalhöyük

Still More Wonders Found at the Ancient City of Çatalhöyük

If it were still standing today, the dense, honeycomb-shaped city of Çatalhöyük on the Konya Plain in Turkey’s Cumra district would be recognized as one of the true wonders of the ancient world.

Occupied from approximately 7,500 to 6,400 BC, this remarkable urban housing project was comprised exclusively of mudbrick domestic buildings or homes, which were so closely packed together that it was possible to travel across the city by hopping from roof to roof (which is exactly what its residents did, since they would have to climb down ladders to enter someone’s home at ground level). Çatalhöyük was spread out over just 34 acres (14 hectares) of land, and the only way to fit as many as 10,000 people into such a small space was to follow the development plan the city’s leaders adopted.

The combined rooftops of the hundreds of structures in Çatalhöyük likely functioned as a public plaza or square, where people shared communal feasts that were cooked or baked in community ovens and kitchens. The furnace structure unearthed during the recent excavations was found in an area known as Mekan 66, and was surrounded by mudbrick homes on all sides.

The fermented bread was not the only organic substance found near the oven. Archaeologists also collected the remains of wheat, barley and pea seeds, as might be expected in what would have been a busy location where foods of all types were constantly being prepared 8,000 years ago.

Food Archaeology Advancing by Leaps and Bounds in Turkey