Türkiye recreates 5,000-year-old bread using ancient recipe unearthed in Eskişehir
Eskişehir municipality revives prehistoric culinary heritage, promotes drought-resistant farming with reproduction of Küllüoba bread
ESKİŞEHİR, Türkiye (MNTV) — Archaeologists have uncovered what is believed to be the world’s oldest known example of leavened and baked bread during excavations at the Küllüoba mound in central Türkiye’s Eskişehir province.
Dating back nearly 5,000 years, the find offers rare insights into the culinary practices of early Anatolian civilizations, reported Daily Sabah.
The discovery was made in the Seyitgazi district, where a team led by Prof. Dr. Murat Türkteki of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University found the bread intact at the threshold of a residential room. Radiocarbon analysis dated the loaf to the Early Bronze Age I period, around 3,000 B.C.
Measuring 12 centimeters in diameter, 2.5 centimeters thick, and weighing about 65 grams, the round loaf is regarded as the earliest fully formed, leavened, and intentionally baked bread ever unearthed.
“This is a significant find. While earlier dough remains have been discovered at sites like Çatalhöyük, they were unbaked,” Prof. Türkteki explained.
“The Küllüoba bread is unique in that it was purposefully baked and placed within the structure. There is no known parallel to this example.”
Initial analysis showed the bread was made from coarsely ground emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum)—an ancient grain still cultivated in southeastern Türkiye—combined with lentils, suggesting a complex and nutritious diet among Early Bronze Age inhabitants.
To celebrate the discovery, the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality has recreated the ancient recipe. Made with flour from stone-milled emmer, einkorn (gacer), and lentils—all naturally low in gluten—the “Küllüoba bread” is now available at municipal markets for TL 50.
The original bread is currently on display at the ETİ Archaeology Museum, featured in a special exhibition alongside food-related artifacts from both the Küllüoba and Yazılıkaya Midas sites.
The display is part of International Museum Week and was inaugurated with the attendance of regional officials and leading archaeologists.
Eskişehir Governor Hüseyin Aksoy emphasized the cultural significance of the region. “This area holds immense historical value, and we are actively working to preserve and promote its rich heritage,” he said.
First excavated in 1996 with authorization from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Küllüoba mound has produced a wealth of Early Bronze Age artifacts.
These include tombs, animal remains, and signs of early urbanization, making the site crucial to understanding the development of ancient Anatolian civilizations.
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