The discovery of nearly 8,600-year-old bread in the Çatalhöyük Neolithic settlement, situated in the central Anatolian province of Konya, marks a remarkable find shedding light on early human culinary practices. Çatalhöyük stands as one of the earliest urban settlements globally and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
Characterized by densely packed mud brick houses adorned with paintings and symbolic decorations, Çatalhöyük boasted a population of around 8,000 inhabitants, making it one of the largest settlements of its time. People traversed through mud-brick homes via ceiling doors, navigating sidewalks that wound around the city’s rooftops.
Archaeologists uncovered an oven structure within the area known as “Mekan 66” (Place 66). Among the remnants surrounding the mostly destroyed oven were wheat, barley, pea seeds, and a handful of items that potentially served as food.
Analyses conducted at Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BITAM) revealed that the spongy residue discovered in the oven was fermented bread dating back to 6,600 B.C.
Associate Professor Ali Umut Türkcan, head of the excavation committee and faculty member at Anadolu University, described the find as “the oldest bread in the world.” The bread, resembling a reduced version of loaf bread, bore a finger imprint at its center and was not baked but fermented, preserving its starches over millennia. This unique preservation method, facilitated by the structure’s thin clay covering, allowed the organic remains to endure to the present day.
The significance of this discovery underscores Çatalhöyük’s status as a pioneering center, offering insights into ancient culinary practices and human civilization’s early stages.
