15 ms·

Archaeologists unearth ancient bread that survived underground for 5k years

22 points by Bluestein 1y ago

gnabgib 1y ago
Original source (AFP which Fox mentions and phys.org reprints): https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ancient-bread-turkey-recreates-year.html https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ancient-bread-turkey-recreates... (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44151339 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44151339) The interesting part of the story is they've baked a replica (May 2025).. not discovered it (Sept 2024)
EndsOfnversion 1y ago
They found the dwarf bread! Still looks and tastes like the day it was made.
- riffraff 1y ago
  Obviously my first thought as well. For the uninitiated, dwarf bread[0] is Discworld's version of elf bread from lord of the rings. It never goes stale, as it's already concrete-like when it's fresh. It's also the source of my favorite pun in Pratchett's vast wordplay production: the scone of stone, where dwarves royalty is coronated. [0] https://wiki.lspace.org/Dwarf_Bread https://wiki.lspace.org/Dwarf_Bread
  - hoseja 1y ago
    Occasionally wielded as a weapon.
everyone 1y ago
My first thought is the baker buried the bread out of shame for burning it, maybe they didnt want their parents to find out they just ruined some bread.
King-Aaron 1y ago
It's like that Burger Kind v McDonalds ad campaign to see who's bread moulds faster.
teew 1y ago
Anecdote from an archaeologist friend of mine: When she was a grad students she worked on a Pfahlbauer site (prehistoric dwellings from ~6000–1000 BCE) where lumps of organic material had been found in the 90s. After cursory analysis the lumps were presented as 'prehistoric bread' as there was evidence of different types of grain and even oats present. In the 2010s they created a likely recipe for 'ancient Pfahlbauer bread', curated an exhibition about experiemental archaeology, and partnered with local bakeries to sell breads based on the ancient recipe. Gaining a bit of media attention, they wanted to find out more about their samples. A closer round of analysis determined the lumps to likely be pieces of horse manure...
- moi2388 1y ago
  Bullshit!
speerer 1y ago
I love that they explain it is "preservative-free" - given the context of a 5,000 year preservation.
hoseja 1y ago
Lentils in the dough sound great actually.
aaron695 1y ago
[dead]

22 points by Bluestein 1y ago

Original source (AFP which Fox mentions and phys.org reprints): https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ancient-bread-turkey-recreates-year.html https://phys.org/news/2025-05-ancient-bread-turkey-recreates... (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44151339 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44151339) The interesting part of the story is they've baked a replica (May 2025).. not discovered it (Sept 2024)

EndsOfnversion 1y ago

They found the dwarf bread! Still looks and tastes like the day it was made.

riffraff 1y ago
Obviously my first thought as well. For the uninitiated, dwarf bread[0] is Discworld's version of elf bread from lord of the rings. It never goes stale, as it's already concrete-like when it's fresh. It's also the source of my favorite pun in Pratchett's vast wordplay production: the scone of stone, where dwarves royalty is coronated. [0] https://wiki.lspace.org/Dwarf_Bread https://wiki.lspace.org/Dwarf_Bread
- hoseja 1y ago
  Occasionally wielded as a weapon.

everyone 1y ago

My first thought is the baker buried the bread out of shame for burning it, maybe they didnt want their parents to find out they just ruined some bread.

King-Aaron 1y ago

It's like that Burger Kind v McDonalds ad campaign to see who's bread moulds faster.

teew 1y ago

Anecdote from an archaeologist friend of mine: When she was a grad students she worked on a Pfahlbauer site (prehistoric dwellings from ~6000–1000 BCE) where lumps of organic material had been found in the 90s. After cursory analysis the lumps were presented as 'prehistoric bread' as there was evidence of different types of grain and even oats present. In the 2010s they created a likely recipe for 'ancient Pfahlbauer bread', curated an exhibition about experiemental archaeology, and partnered with local bakeries to sell breads based on the ancient recipe. Gaining a bit of media attention, they wanted to find out more about their samples. A closer round of analysis determined the lumps to likely be pieces of horse manure...

moi2388 1y ago
Bullshit!

speerer 1y ago

I love that they explain it is "preservative-free" - given the context of a 5,000 year preservation.

hoseja 1y ago

Lentils in the dough sound great actually.

aaron695 1y ago

[dead]