11 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

5,000-Year-Old “Küllüoba Bread” Discovered in Türkiye Reveals Ancient Baking and Fertility Rituals

5,000-year-old bread found in Küllüoba Höyük, Turkey reveals ancient baking methods and fertility rituals. Unique archaeological discovery with rich nutritional insights.

Archaeologists at the Küllüoba Höyük excavation site in Seyitgazi, Eskişehir, have uncovered an extraordinary 5,000-year-old ancient bread, providing unique insights into early Neolithic baking methods and ritual practices. The rare discovery reveals that the bread was intentionally burned and buried as part of a fertility ritual, a practice unseen in many ancient settlements.

Conducted under official permits from the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, the excavation revealed the carbonized “Küllüoba bread” buried at the threshold of a dwelling’s rear chamber. Advanced electron microscopy analysis identified the bread’s composition: primarily emmer wheat (locally called gernik or kavılca) combined with lentils.

Ancient Baking Techniques and Nutritional Profile

Led by Prof. Dr. Murat Türkteki of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, the research showed the dough was fermented and baked at around 150°C, with a well-cooked crust and a softer interior. In a statement to Anadolu Agency (AA), Prof. Türkteki explained that emmer wheat, notable for its high protein and low gluten content, forms the bread’s main ingredient. The bread is also rich in B vitamins, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and resistant starch, which helps regulate blood sugar.

The image shows the in situ condition and findspot of the 5,000-year-old bread discovered at the Küllüoba excavation site. Credit: Küllüoba Excavation Directorate
The image shows the in situ condition and findspot of the 5,000-year-old bread discovered at the Küllüoba excavation site. Credit: Küllüoba Excavation Directorate

This nutritious, low-gluten bread likely had practical dietary benefits but also carried symbolic significance due to its unique preparation.

Ritual Significance: A Fertility Offering

Remarkably, the bread’s fragment was deliberately broken, burned, and buried beneath red-colored soil in the house’s threshold, indicating its use as a ritualistic object to invoke fertility or blessing. This discovery provides rare evidence of Neolithic spiritual practices linked to food.

Prof. Türkteki emphasized, “The bread’s carbonization and burial demonstrate ritual use, possibly related to prosperity and protection.”

Rare Archaeological Find in Anatolia

Organic materials like bread rarely survive millennia, making this find invaluable. It is only the second well-preserved baked bread unearthed in Anatolia, after an unbaked example found at Çatalhöyük. This discovery marks a crucial milestone in understanding ancient Anatolian culinary traditions and cultural rituals.

Microscopic analysis of the ancient bread reveals its internal structure and ingredients, including emmer wheat and lentils. Credit: Küllüoba Excavation Directorate
Microscopic analysis of the ancient bread reveals its internal structure and ingredients, including emmer wheat and lentils. Credit: Küllüoba Excavation Directorate

Modern Revival of the Küllüoba Bread

In homage to this historic find, Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality’s Halk Ekmek Factory has begun producing the “Küllüoba Bread,” available in local markets for 50 Turkish Lira, bridging past and present culinary heritage.

Cover Image Credit: Küllüoba Excavation Directorate

Related Articles

Luxurious Feather Beds of Iron Age Warriors

27 March 2021

27 March 2021

According to a new study, two warriors from the 7th century in Sweden were buried in graves where they were...

Anatolia’s largest olive oil factory unearthed

14 January 2022

14 January 2022

A Roman-era olive oil factory has been unearthed during excavations in the İskenderun district of Hatay. It has been reported...

3,200-Year-Old Temple Mural of Spider God in Peru

25 March 2021

25 March 2021

Archaeologists in northern Peru have discovered a 3200-year-old mural. The mural was painted on the side of an ancient adobe...

Who really fought in the Battle of Himera? Researchers found the answer to the question

14 May 2021

14 May 2021

According to the Ancient Greek Historians, victory over the Carthaginians in the Battle of Himera was won by the alliance...

Four 1,900-year-old Roman swords found in Judean Desert

6 September 2023

6 September 2023

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the discovery of four extremely well-preserved Roman swords hidden in a cave in the...

Lost sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci show that he understood gravity long before Newton

19 February 2023

19 February 2023

Leonardo da Vinci’s centuries-old sketches show that he may have understood key aspects of gravity long before Galileo, Newton, and...

8,000-year-old Cave paintings found in Türkiye’s İnkaya Cave depict life and death

10 September 2023

10 September 2023

A number of cave paintings dating back some 8,000 years have been found in İnkaya cave in the Marmara province...

A 3800-year-old cylinder seal was discovered at Turkey’s Tepebag Mound excavations

8 July 2022

8 July 2022

In the 2022 excavations of Tepebag Mound, located around Taşköprü, the center of Adana province in Turkey’s Mediterranean Region, a...

5,200-year-old stone carving silkworm chrysalis discovered in north China

19 July 2022

19 July 2022

According to the provincial archaeological research institute, archaeologists discovered a stone-carved silkworm chrysalis dating back at least 5,200 years in...

2,000-year-old Celtic hoard of gold ‘rainbow cups’ discovered in northeastern Germany

13 January 2022

13 January 2022

Archaeologists have found an ancient Celtic coins treasure consisting of 41 gold coins in a field in Brandenburg, a state...

The largest marine turtle fossil of its kind ever discovered in Europe unearthed in Spain

21 November 2022

21 November 2022

In northern Spain, scientists discovered the remains of a new species of enormous marine turtle. The prehistoric creature is the...

Receding waters in Lake Van reveal rock-cut Urartian port

22 September 2022

22 September 2022

Located in the eastern province of Van in Turkey, the falling water level of Lake Van, with the decrease in...

Human Activity on Curaçao Began Centuries Earlier Than Previously Believed

28 March 2024

28 March 2024

New research co-led by Simon Fraser University and the National Archaeological Anthropological Memory Management (NAAM Foundation) in Curaçao extends the...

5,500-year-old Menhir discovered in Portugal

28 August 2023

28 August 2023

A 5,500-year-old (that is around 3500 BC) menhir has been discovered in the town of São Brás de Alportel in...

Neanderthals too may have Developed a System of Numerical Notation

2 June 2021

2 June 2021

People developed numbers tens of thousands of years ago, according to archeological findings. Scholars are now investigating the first comprehensive...