Ancient bread found in cave

Scientists have unearthed remains of what is believed to be the world’s oldest flatbread made by Neanderthals in the foothills of Iraq.

Thought to be around 70,000 years old, the charred remnants were recovered from the Shanidar Cave site, a Neanderthal dwelling around 500 miles north of Baghdad.

The archaeologists said the findings, published in the journal Antiquity, show for the first time that bread was part of the diet among these hominid species.

Chris Hunt of Liverpool John Moores University, who is one of the study

authors, said: “The old stereotype is that Neanderthals were less intelligent than modern humans and that they had a largely meat-based diet.

“Our findings are the first real indication of complex cooking, and thus of food culture, among Neanderthals.”

The food remains were found in one of the many hearths in the Shanidar Caves.

Samples show evidence of nuts, pulses and seeds, indicating Neanderthals were “choosing to flavour their food”, according to the researchers.

Prof Hunt told the PA news agency: “These are certainly the oldest known flatbreads. There is no sign of the bubbles caused by yeast, so it was unleavened.

“It seems the Neanderthals smashed or ground then soaked a mix of wild grains and grasses, wild pulses, including wild lentils, wild pistachios and, at times, wild grass seeds and grass pea fragments, then cooked the resulting mix on hot stones.”

The Shanidar Caves.