Focaccia baking in the Late Neolithic highlights complex food traditions

Focaccia baking in the Late Neolithic highlights complex food traditions
by Hugo Ritmico
Madrid, Spain (SPX) Nov 26, 2024

Research conducted by the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the University La Sapienza in Rome has revealed a sophisticated culinary culture among Late Neolithic agricultural societies in the Near East. The findings suggest that communities between 7000 and 5000 BCE baked large loaves and seasoned focaccias using specialized ceramic trays.

Published in 'Scientific Reports' (Nature Portfolio), the study involved researchers from the Mila i Fontanals Institution (IMF-CSIC) and the University of Lyon, providing key insights into ancient food preparation practices. Central to the study were husking trays - large oval-based containers with low walls, crafted from coarse clay, and featuring a distinctive grooved surface.

Experiments using replicas of these trays and ancient-style domed ovens suggest that they were used to bake large, 3-kilogram loaves of bread at high temperatures of up to 420 C over two hours. The grooves facilitated easy removal of the bread, which was likely prepared for communal consumption. The research further analyzed ceramic fragments from archaeological sites Mezraa Teleilat, Akarcay Tepe, and Tell Sabi Abyad, located in the modern-day region between Syria and Turkey.

The analysis combined multiple methods to confirm the trays' role in baking cereal-based doughs, sometimes enriched with animal fat or vegetable oils. Phytolith analysis indicated the use of wheat and barley ground into flour, while organic residue studies revealed evidence of both animal and plant-derived seasonings in some samples. The state of the residues confirmed cooking temperatures consistent with experimental baking trials. Additionally, use-wear patterns on the ceramic surfaces were associated with bread and focaccia preparation.

Sergio Taranto, lead author and doctoral researcher at UAB and La Sapienza, noted, "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. 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."

Research Report:Unveiling the culinary tradition of 'focaccia' in Late Neolithic Mesopotamia by way of the integration of use-wear, phytolith and organic-residue analyses