Oldest baked bread flying off the shelves
The oldest baked bread in Anatolia has been reproduced for sale in Eskiehir, northwestern Turkey. The historic loaf dates to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 3300 B.C.) and was unearthed at the Klloba Mound. Spurred by the loafs recent unveiling for public display at the Eskisehir Archaeological Museum, the municipality commissioned a replica and it was an instant success, selling out the full production of 300 loaves a day.The period around 3300-3000 B.C. saw farming settlements emerge in large numbers on the plains of Anatolia. The settlement at Klloba Mound is the oldest in the area and has been excavated continuously since 1996.The round, flat loaf five inches in diameter was discovered in September 2024. A piece was torn off, and the rest of the loaf was burned and buried in the close to the threshold of a house. Archaeologists believe this was a ritual to bring abundance and prosperity to the dwelling. The charring preserved the bread, making it possible for a sample to be analyzed to identify its ingredients.[The head of the Klloba excavation team, Professor Murat] Trkteki explained that the bread had fermented and was baked making it the earliest known example of such a processed food. The back of the bread shows white residues known as phytoliths microscopic plant remains, often from leaves which were possibly left during the fermentation process. Were continuing our research on those traces as well.Microscopic analysis revealed that the bread contained large particles of a wheat variety called gernik wheat, which still exists today but is rarely cultivated. Trkteki said that nearly 90 percent of the bread was made from this type of wheat, ground coarsely using basalt stones typical of the era.Gernik wheat is also known as wild emmer wheat. Wild emmer no longer exists in Turkey today, and the leaf that played a role in fermentation is unknown. Lentils were also identified. The bread was baked quickly at more than 300F.As ancient emmer was not available, Eskiehirs Public Bread Company, a municipal bakery that provides low cost bread, decided to use Kavlca wheat, which is a native heritage grain close to emmer, as a substitute. They also used lentil flour, cooked lentils kamut and cooked bulgur.The loaves are packaged in a paper bag with information about the Klloba Mound on the back. So for 50 Turkish Lira ($1.28), buyers get a fiber-rich, filling, low-gluten, preservative-free bun their distant ancestors would have recognized served in a museum information panel. No wonder theyve been selling out every day.The success of the Bronze Age bread revival may have repercussions for the areas agricultural practices as well.Once rich in water sources, the province of Eskisehir is today suffering from drought.Were facing a climate crisis, but were 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.
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