Ancient Bread Rises Again As Turkey Recreates 5,000-year-old Loaf
In the early Bronze Age, a piece of bread was buried beneath the threshold of a newly built house in what is today central Turkey.
Now, more than 5,000 years later, archaeologists have unearthed it, and helped a local bakery to recreate the recipe -- with customers lining up to buy it.
Round and flat like a pancake, 12 centimetres (five inches) in diameter, the bread was discovered during excavations at Kulluoba, a site near the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir.
"This is the oldest baked bread to have come to light during an excavation, and it has largely been able to preserve its shape," said Murat Turkteki, archaeologist and director of the excavation.
"Bread is a rare find during an excavation. Usually, you only find crumbs," he told AFP.
"But here, it was preserved because it had been burnt and buried," he said.
The bread was charred and buried under the entrance of a dwelling built around 3,300 BC.
A piece had been torn off, before the bread was burnt, then buried when the house was built.
"It makes us think of a ritual of abundance," Turkteki said.
Unearthed in September 2024, the charred bread has been on display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum since Wednesday.
"We were very moved by this discovery. Talking to our excavation director, I wondered if we could reproduce this bread," said the city's mayor, Ayse Unluce.
Analyses showed that the bread was made with coarsely ground emmer flour, an ancient variety of wheat, and lentil seeds, with the leaf of an as yet undetermined plant used as yeast.
Ancient emmer seeds no longer exist in Turkey.
To get as close as possible to the original recipe, the municipality, after analysing the ancient bread, decided to use Kavilca wheat, a variety that is close to ancient emmer, as well as bulgur and lentils.
At the Halk Ekmek bakery (meaning "People's Bread" in Turkish), promoted by the municipality to offer low-cost bread, employees have been shaping 300 loaves of Kulluoba by hand every day.
"The combination of ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread," said Serap Guler, the bakery's manager.
The first Kulluoba loaves, marketed as 300-gramme (11-ounce) cakes that cost 50 Turkish lira (around $1.28), sold out within hours.
"I rushed because I was afraid there wouldn't be any left. I'm curious about the taste of this ancient bread," said customer Suzan Kuru.
In the absence of written traces, the civilisation of Kulluoba remains largely mysterious.
In the Bronze Age, the Hattians, an Anatolian people who preceded the Hittites, lived in the Eskisehir region.
"Kulluoba was a medium-sized urban agglomeration engaged in commercial activities, crafts, agriculture and mining. There was clearly a certain family and social order," said archaeologist Deniz Sari.
The rediscovery of the bread has sparked interest in the cultivation of ancient wheats better adapted to drought.
Once rich in water sources, the province of Eskisehir is today suffering from drought.
"We're facing a climate crisis, but we're still growing corn and sunflowers, which require a lot of water," said Unluce, the local mayor.
"Our ancestors are teaching us a lesson. Like them, we should be moving towards less thirsty crops," she added.
The mayor wants to revive the cultivation of Kavilca wheat in the region, which is resistant to drought and disease.
"We need strong policies on this subject. Cultivating ancient wheat will be a symbolic step in this direction," she said.
"These lands have preserved this bread for 5,000 years and given us this gift. We have a duty to protect this heritage and pass it on." Archaeologists Murat Turkteki and Deniz Sari examine an ancient house at the Kulluoba excavation site in central Turkey AFP The original Kulluoba bread, on display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum AFP Eskisehir Mayor Ayse Unluce had the idea to recreate Kulluoba bread AFP 'The combination of ancestral wheat flour, lentils and bulgur results in a rich, satiating, low-gluten, preservative-free bread,' says Serap Guler, the bakery's manager AFP Customers have been lining up for Kulluoba bread at the Halk Ekmek bakery AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
6 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Abortion Pill Inventor Etienne-Emile Baulieu Dies Aged 98
French scientist Etienne-Emile Baulieu, known as the inventor of the abortion pill, died at the age of 98 at his home in Paris on Friday, his wife told AFP. The doctor and researcher, who achieved worldwide renown for his work that led to the pill, had an eventful life that included fighting in the French resistance and becoming friends with artists such as Andy Warhol. "His research was guided by his commitment to the progress made possible by science, his dedication to women's freedom, and his desire to enable everyone to live better, longer lives," Baulieu's wife Simone Harari Baulieu said in a statement. Baulieu's most well-known discovery helped create the oral drug RU-486, also known as mifepristone, which provided a safe and inexpensive alternative to surgical abortion to millions of women across the world. His work meant he also faced fierce criticism and sometimes threats from opponents of abortion. After Wyoming became the first US state to outlaw the use of the abortion pill in 2023, Baulieu told AFP it was "scandalous". Baulieu said he had dedicated a large part of his life to "increasing the freedom of women," and the ban was a step in the opposite direction. Born on December 12, 1926 in Strasbourg to Jewish parents, Etienne Blum was raised by his feminist mother after his father, a doctor, died. He changed his name to Emile Baulieu when he joined the French resistance against Nazi occupation at the age of 15, then later adding Etienne. After the war, he became a self-described "doctor who does science," specialising in the field of steroid hormones. Invited to work in the United States, Baulieu was noticed in 1961 by Gregory Pincus, known as the father of the contraceptive pill, who convinced him to focus on sex hormones. Back in France, Baulieu designed a way to block the effect of the hormone progesterone, which is essential for the egg to implant in the uterus after fertilisation. This led to the development of mifepristone in 1982. In the 1960s, the literature fan had become friends with artists such as Andy Warhol. He said he was "fascinated by artists who claim to have access to the human soul, something that will forever remain beyond the reach of scientists." Baulieu kept going into Parisian office into his mid-90s. "I would be bored if I did not work anymore," he said in 2023. His recent research has included trying to find a way to prevent the development of Alzheimer's disease, as well as a treatment for severe depression, for which clinical trials are currently underway across the world. French President Emmanuel Macron presented Baulieu with the Grand-Croix de la Legion d'Honneur in 2023, the top rank in France's honours system. "You, a Jew and a resistance fighter, you were overwhelmed with the most atrocious insults and even compared to Nazi scientists," Macron said. "But you held on, for the love of freedom and science." In the United States, Baulieu was also awarded the prestigious Lasker prize in 1989. The widower of Yolande Compagnon, Baulieu married Simone Harari in 2016. He leaves behind three children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren, according to the statement released by his family.
DW
6 days ago
- DW
What are the real impacts of melting glaciers? – DW – 05/30/2025
Glaciers are the planet's frozen water banks. They sustain water supply, ecosystems, and even cultural traditions. But many of these sprawling beds of ice are melting. Why does that matter? The collapse of a glacier in the Swiss Alps this week has underscored the impacts of a warming world on the ice-packed parts of planet Earth. When the melting Birch glacier on crumbled on Wednesday, it engulfed the picturesque village of Blattern in the country's southern Wallis region. Glaciers and ice sheets store about 70% of the world's freshwater reserves. High- altitude regions are often dubbed the world's "water towers" because they gradually release meltwater in the summer, sustaining towns and farms downstream. Two billion people globally rely on glacial melt for their day-to-day water needs, researchers say. Yet, as the world gets hotter, the ice is thawing. Glaciers around the world are now melting at twice the rate measured just two decades ago. Between 2000 and 2023, they lost an ice mass equivalent to 46,000 Great Pyramids of Giza. And this is impacting communities worldwide. Some regions are left with too little water while others struggle with too much. Melted ice from glaciers in the Andes contributes almost 20% of the annual water supply of Huaraz in Peru Image: Patricioh/Dreamstime/IMAGO Gl aciers as crucial freshwater resource The residents of the small western Peruvian town of Huaraz draw almost 20% of their annual water supply from melting ice. But Andean glaciers are thawing even faster than elsewhere. This poses a risk of flooding. In a decade-long lawsuit, one resident of Huaraz sued a German energy company over the potential risk to his home from a mountain lake that is filling with melt water at rapid rates. A bridge in Hassanabad village, Pakistan partly collapsed when a glacial lake burst and caused flash floods on May 7, 2022 Image: AFP Meltwater d amages infrastructure and makes mountains unstable It is not only in Peru that huge glacial lakes form when glaciers thaw. When they become too full, deadly floods can wash away buildings, bridges and wipe out fertile land, like in Pakistan, where a glacial lake burst in October 2023. The 2023 flood swept away part of the land, houses and a community hall in Hassanabad village, leaving behind steep and dangerous cliffs. Image: Akhtar Soomro/REUTERS That same month in neighboring India, a lake of melted ice overflowed and killed 179 people. Scientists estimate that globally, at least 15 million people are vulnerable to sudden flooding from thawing ice, most of them living in India and Pakistan. Since 1990, the volume of water in mountain lakes has increased by around 50%. The collapse of the Birch glacier in Switzerland caused a landslide of rock and ice that covered most of the 300-strong village of Blatten in mud. Though residents had been evacuated as a precaution, one man is missing in what scientists call the latest dramatic example of climate change's impact on the Alps. There are also now fears that a nearby river will be blocked causing flooding in the region. Swiss glacier collapse partially destroys village of Blatten To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Dwindling water supply for agriculture and electricity generation As glaciers shrink, they eventually reach a threshold — known as peak water — at which runoff declines. As a result, less melt water flows downstream with potentially far-reaching consequences. Reduced water supply has forced local farmers, who traditionally grew corn and wheat, to change both their crops and water management. Some communities in the Andes have now switched to growing a bitter potato variety that is more resilient to drought. Unstable water supply is also stalling electricity production. In Chile, 27% of power is generated by hydroelectric dams which critically depend on meltwater. In 2021, the Alto Maipo plant was shut down due to dwindling flow. Melting ice sheets increase sea levels Massive ice blocks like Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica are retreating at an alarming rate Image: Cover-Images/IMAGO It's not only glaciers in high altitudes that are melting — but also those in the ocean, like Thwaites Glacier in Western Antarctica. This frosty giant is the size of the US state of Florida and has been deemed "very unstable." Scientists say it is thawing on all sides. The melting of sea ice crucially contributes to rising sea levels. Thwaites Glacier has been dubbed "doomsday glacier" for its potential impact on what some researchers call 'abrupt' sea level rise. On the low-lying island of Fuvahmulah in the Maldives, workers are building a dyke to protect the land against sea level rise Image: Christophe Geyres/ABACA/picture alliance In the last 25 years alone, melting glaciers have caused global sea levels to rise almost 2cm (0.7 inches). This might not seem like much, but low-lying islands like Fiji and Vanuatu in the Pacific are at risk of disappearing under the waves. In addition more than 1 billion people in megacities like Jakarta, Mumbai, Lagos, Manila live within ten kilometers from the coast and protective dykes are only a temporary solution as sea levels continue to rise. Ice traditions under threat Pilgrims descend a rock face in Ocongate, Peru after a ceremony on the glacier during the annual Qoyllur Rit'i festival Image:Glaciers also hold spiritual and cultural significance. Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims gather at one of Peru's most sacred glaciers, the Colquepunco, for a religious festival. In the past, ice blocks were carved from the glacier and carried down to local communities who believed in their healing properties. But as the glacier vanishes, this ancient tradition has come under threat. Less snowfall for Alpine ski resorts One in eight ski resorts could lose its natural snow cover by 2100, making tourists flock to higher altitudes like at Passo Tonale in Italy Image: Nikokvfrmoto/Pond5 Images/IMAGO The Presena glacier in Italy, a popular destination for skiers, has reportedly lost a third of its volume since 1990. And natural snow in the European Alps is expected to decline by 42% by the end of the century. Scientists estimate that many ski resorts worldwide won't be profitable anymore in the future. Warning systems and artificial glaciers can help Early warning systems like this weather station in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan can help adapt to the threats of melting glaciers Image: Akhtar Soomro/REUTERS Locals can adapt to some of these dangers. In the Pakistan village of Hassanabad, an early warning system has been installed to monitor activity at the nearby Shisper glacier. Should there be a need for a warning, it can be communicated through external speakers in the village. In the neighboring Ladakh region, researchers are experimenting with growing artificial glaciers that can mitigate water shortage in summer to meet this challenge. But these strategies can only work up to a point. Scientist say the best way to tackle receding glaciers is to slow the rising temperatures that are heating the Earth. Edited by: Anke Rasper
Int'l Business Times
7 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Remains Of Mayan City Nearly 3,000 Years Old Unearthed In Guatemala
Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a Mayan city nearly 3,000 years old in northern Guatemala, with pyramids and monuments that point to its significance as an important ceremonial site, the Central American country's culture ministry said Thursday. The Mayan civilization arose around 2000 BC, reaching its height between 400 and 900 AD in what is present-day southern Mexico and Guatemala, as well as parts of Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. The city named "Los Abuelos," Spanish for "The Grandparents," once stood some 21 kilometers (13 miles) from the important archaeological site of Uaxactun, in Guatemala's northern Peten department, the ministry said in a statement. It is dated to what is known as the "Middle Preclassic" period from about 800 to 500 BC, and is believed to have been "one of the most ancient and important ceremonial centers" of the Mayan civilization in the jungle area of Peten near the Mexican border, it added. "The site presents remarkable architectural planning" with pyramids and monuments "sculpted with unique iconography from the region," said the ministry. The city takes its name from two human-like sculptures of an "ancestral couple" found at the site. The figures, dated to between 500 and 300 BC, "could be linked to ancient ritual practices of ancestor worship," said the ministry. The city, which covers an area of about 16 square kilometers (six square miles) was discovered by Guatemalan and Slovak archaeologists in previously little-explored areas of the Uaxactun park. Nearby, they also found a pyramid standing 33 meters (108 feet) high with murals from the Preclassic period and "a unique canal system," according to the statement. "The set of these three sites forms a previously unknown urban triangle... These findings allow us to rethink the understanding of the ceremonial and socio-political organization of pre-Hispanic Peten," said the ministry. In April, scientists discovered a 1,000-year-old altar from Mexico's ancient Teotihuacan culture at Tikal, elsewhere in the Peten department. That find was interpreted as proof of ties between the two pre-Hispanic cultures, which lived about 1,300 km apart. Tikal, about 23 km from Uaxcatun, is the main archaeological site in Guatemala and one of its biggest tourist attractions. The Mayan civilization arose around 2000 BC, reaching its height between 400 and 900 AD in what is present-day southern Mexico and Guatemala, as well as parts of Belize, El Salvador and Honduras AFP Two sculptures Guatemalan officials say "represent an ancestral couple," discovered at the Uaxactun archeological site of an ancient Mayan city AFP
