Scientists Find Evidence Of Focaccia Bread Dating Back 9,000 Years!
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Focaccia bread is often credited to the ancient Romans, who baked it about 2,000 years ago. However, new research suggests Neolithic communities were making their own version of the delicious bread as far back as 9,000 years ago.
Spanish archeologist Sergio Taranto and his team came to this conclusion after studying baking trays dating back between 7000 and 5000 BCE. Known as "husking trays," they were found at 14 different sites stretching from modern-day Iraq to Egypt. The region is often called the "Cradle of Civilization." It was where the earliest human civilizations developed.
An analysis of the fossilized remains on the trays revealed that the ancient bakers mixed wheat or barley with water to make their bread. Some samples also contained traces of animal fat and plant-based spices. This indicated that flavor was important to the ancient people.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports in November 2024. Based on the condition of the trays, they believe the bread was baked for about two hours in a dome-shaped oven heated to over 788°F (420°C). The grooves inside the tray probably helped them remove the bread once it was done. The large loaves weighed about 6.6 pounds (3 kg) each. They were likely shared among groups of people.
“Our study offers a vivid picture of communities using the cereals they cultivated to prepare breads and ‘focaccias’ enriched with various ingredients and consumed in groups,” explains Taranto. “The use of the husking trays we identified leads us to consider that this Late Neolithic culinary tradition developed over approximately six centuries and was practiced in a wide area of the Near East."
Resources: Smithsonian.mag.com, Phys.org, eurekalert.org
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33 Comments
21raaya8 daysThat loos yummy
rirenidylobu13 daysi onece tried it it was good- rirenidylobu13 dayshow does it tasest
charliem21514 daysi wonder what it tastes like.
lillsssssssss15 daysthis is really cool. im getting pizza vibes.
birdie201211 daysFOR REAL!!!!!!!!!!
sarthak22 daysPretty cool!!
enigmaticreader24 daysFascinating
iamagirl24 daysthis is cool
tumblinggirl25 dayswow
dream_beyond26 daysTo clarify, it's a tradition dating back 9,000 years, not the focaccia itself (not that anyone asked ). But hey, aged focaccia? It'd be a perfect crouton substitute!
