From our country came the first bakers in history. Imagine a scene dating back nearly 9,000 years ago, where delicious smells emerge from primitive ovens, and light smoke rises above small villages scattered around the rivers.
Here, in this spot of land that witnessed the birth of agriculture, the story of bread also began, a story that changed the face of humanity forever. It was not just a new food then, but a real revolution in human lifestyle and culture.
Although focaccia is traditionally considered one of the oldest types of Italian bread, a new study shows that a similar flatbread was baked in the Fertile Crescent region (and also Mesopotamia) hundreds of years before it appeared in Italy.
Thus, the cycle of focaccia production in the ancient Levant was completed with the discovery of agriculture and the cultivation of grains and wheat (the Levant, Mesopotamia, and Egypt since 9 thousand years BC), bread making (Egypt and the Levant also shortly after), and the spread of the olive tree (the Eastern Mediterranean around 6 centuries BC). And also cheese making (in the ancient Levant, Sumer, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and ancient Egypt, approximately 6 centuries BC).
Focaccia in the Fertile Crescent
A recent study conducted by researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and La Sapienza University in Rome revealed that agricultural communities in the Fertile Crescent region (which includes parts of Anatolia, Iraq, and Syria) developed a complex culinary tradition during the Late Neolithic Age, between 7,000 and 5,000 years BC. It involves baking large loaves of thick flatbread now known as focaccia with different flavours.
According to the study published in the “Scientific Reports” of the journal Nature, researchers analyzed fragments of large, oval-shaped pottery vessels previously found in the Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia, known as “crusting trays”, in which dough is placed and which are characterized by their ability to withstand High temperatures for long periods, dating back to the Late Neolithic period between 6400 and 5900 BC.
This study opens new horizons for understanding culinary traditions at the beginning of human civilization, and highlights the importance of bread in social gatherings for thousands of years.
The research team included scientists from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, La Sapienza University, Mila e Fontanales Foundation, and the University of León, in addition to researchers from the Universities of Istanbul and Koç in Türkiye.
These vessels were found in archaeological sites between Syria and Turkey in what is known as the northwestern region of the Fertile Crescent (and it also shares its history with the Mesopotamia region, which also includes parts of Iraq). These trays were distinguished by their inner surface distinguished by regular rough engravings, which are believed to be… It made it easier to remove the bread after baking.
Analysis showed that these vessels were used to bake dough from grains such as wheat and barley, and were sometimes flavored with animal fats or vegetable oils.
Focaccia, which is the precursor to traditional Italian pizza, is considered one of the oldest types of bread in Italy, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. This flat bread is characterized by being cooked with olive oil, herbs, cheese, and other ingredients, and its origins were attributed to the Etruscan (Etruscan) civilization in ancient Italy, which… It flourished in the sixth century BC and later influenced the Romans.
Fertile Crescent communities
“Our study provides a vivid picture of societies that used the grains they grew to prepare breads and focaccia rich in diverse ingredients and consumed them in groups,” said study author and lead researcher Sergio Taranto.
He added that this culinary tradition developed over about 6 centuries and was practiced in a wide area of the Near East (the Anatolia region and the Fertile Crescent).
In an experiment to reconstruct these trays, researchers were able to bake large loaves weighing up to 3 kilograms, indicating that they were intended for mass consumption.
These loaves were baked in cupola ovens for approximately two hours at an initial temperature of 420 degrees Celsius, and these results indicate that some types of bread may be older than previously thought.
The researchers said the trays reached a sufficient temperature for baking, similar to those used in dome ovens from the same time period. Evidence showed that large quantities of bread were baked on these trays, some of which resembled focaccia.
New analyzes indicate that a similar flatbread cooked with oil from animal or vegetable sources was baked in the Fertile Crescent region centuries before it became a staple food in Italy.
The first documentation of the word “focaccia,” a thick, oven-baked flatbread, dates back to the 14th century. Focaccia is sometimes considered a type of pizza outside Italy, although focaccia is left to rise after it has been flattened and thickened, while pizza is baked immediately after being kneaded.
History of bread
Bread was a radical shift in the human diet. Ground and baked grains became easier to digest, providing more energy for the human body. This dietary change may have been a crucial factor in brain development, human intelligence, and the evolution of complex societies.
Over time, these simple techniques have evolved. Ancient bakers began adding new ingredients, perhaps seeds, plants, or oils, as studies in the Anatolia and Levant regions indicate, in which scientists (in previous studies) found remains of a yeast dough dating back to about 6600 BC, containing wheat, barley, and pea seeds. And mustard.
These discoveries also show the complexity of the social and cultural life of these early societies. Bread was not just food, but rather a means of gathering, celebrating, and building social ties.
Today, when we eat a piece of bread, we participate in a tradition that extends back thousands of years. Every bite is a reminder of human ingenuity. From those primitive ovens in the Fertile Crescent to our modern bakeries, the story of bread continues to evolve, reminding us of our deep historical roots and the link between food, culture and civilization. Humanity.