Focaccia has been a staple of Italian cuisine since at least ancient Rome, but new research suggests the flatbread’s origins date back to the Neolithic era. Some archaeologists say Mesopotamian communities may even have begun baking large communal loaves between 7,000 and 5,000 B.C., thousands of miles away from modern-day Roman communities.
The new findings were published in the journal Nov. 5. scientific report It then focuses on evidence recovered across the Fertile Crescent, which is present-day Syria and Türkiye. Collaborators from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) in Spain, the Universities of Istanbul and Cocí in Turkey, and La Sapienza University in Rome will discover 13 pieces of pottery excavated at Mezra Tereirat, Akarchay Tepe and Tel Sabi Abyad. The debris was examined. The researchers believe that these fragments originally belonged to a shedding tray, a large oval, low-walled top made of coarse clay.
The researchers used a combination of tools, including stereo microscopy and chemical analysis, to detect signs of wear from use, as well as compounds from phytoliths (silica residues from plants) and other organic materials. According to the study’s authors, incision marks that are “crudely made, repetitive, and evenly distributed across the inner surface of the container” also suggest a common design found on the top.
The debris also contained microscopic traces of animal fat and vegetable seasonings, and its decomposition suggests it was exposed to temperatures as high as 420 degrees Celsius (788 degrees Fahrenheit). According to Research presentation Archaeologists believe all of this amounts to “conclusive evidence” that peeling trays were used to make ancient flatbreads such as focaccia, according to a statement from UAB.
The variations in organic material found in the 13 fragments led the researchers to conclude that Neolithic communities experimented with several different recipes for baking bread on these peeling trays. Scientists speculate that these breads were likely eaten communally, given that each vessel was able to support focaccia breads weighing as much as 6.6 pounds.
“Our study provides a clear picture of how community-grown grains are used to make bread or ‘focaccia’ filled with a variety of ingredients and consumed collectively.” said lead author Sergio Taranto, a postdoctoral fellow at UAB.
Related: [Leftovers of a 2,000-year-old curry discovered on stone cooking tools.]
Taranto added that further dating of the fragments has shown that archaeologists have discovered that “this Late Neolithic culinary tradition developed over about six centuries, and that such customs evolved from the Near East before moving to other places such as Italy. “It was practiced in a wide area,” he added.
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