Around 9,000 to 7,000 years ago, Neolithic humans in Mesopotamia employed oval-shaped vessels called husking trays to bake dough. These vessels, made of coarse clay, are likely the oldest form of non-stick cookware. A recent study by researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB Barcelona) offers insight into the types of food prepared using these ancient trays.

Fragments of husking trays have been found across the entire Mesopotamia (a region including modern-day Iraq and some parts of Kuwait, Iran, and Syria) spanning over 2,000 km. The study holds great importance because it is one of those rare research works that reveals the dietary habits of a large ancient population. 

“Studying past dietary behaviors can provide valuable information about the social and cultural aspects of ancient populations. This is particularly useful for studying prehistoric communities about which we have limited knowledge due to the lack of written records,” Sergio Taranto, the first author of the study, and an archaeologist at UAB Barcelona, told ZME Science.

The kind of food cooked in husking trays

While food is perishable, husking trays made of ceramic are preserved over time. When food was baked on these trays, microscopic residues of starch, fats, lipids, and proteins from the food were embedded in their porous surface. Even after thousands of years, the residues are still there, providing researchers with valuable clues about the types of food baked on the trays.

Using samples from archaeological sites at Mezraa Teleilat, Akarçay Tepe, and Tell Sabi Abyad (spanning the Syria-Turkey region), researchers conducted detailed trace and residue analyses. Their findings revealed that the trays were used primarily to bake dough made from wheat and occasionally barley.

“Based on the available data, we can assert that husking trays were likely used to bake doughs made primarily of wheat and occasionally barley. Some of these, which we refer to as ‘focaccias’, were enriched with other animal-derived ingredients—we cannot determine if it was just fat or also pieces of meat—from goats, sheep, or cows,” Taranto explained. 

Additionally, these doughs might have been enhanced with oils or plant-based seeds, such as sesame or flax. However, possibly many other ingredients were added to these mixtures, but they have left no archaeological trace. For instance, the researchers didn’t even find evidence of leavening agents, substances that create air pockets in the dough, making it light and fluffy.

The study further demonstrated that these doughs were baked into large loaves, weighing approximately 3.5 kilograms (6.6 lbs), inside an oven at 420 °C (788°F) for about two hours. Given their size, these breads were likely consumed communally.

“Moreover, the study confirms that the impressions inside these trays were meant to facilitate taking the bread/focaccia out of the vessel once cooked—essentially an ancient non-stick technology, akin to our modern pans,” Taranto told ZME Science.

It’s fascinating that while modern humans invented non-stick cookware in 1954, ancient Neolithic people had already figured out how to make their own version nearly 9,000 years ago, and that too, using only clay.

Way more to discover

The research offers more than a glimpse into ancient baking. It hints at communal eating practices and shared culinary traditions across Neolithic Mesopotamia, suggesting that these communities not only cultivated cereals but also devised innovative ways to prepare and share them. It also showcases the probable procedure through which Neanderthals made focaccia—almost like a recipe. 

For instance, it suggests how breads of different flavors were baked using different types of animal fats and plant seasonings. Plus, it confirms that Neolithic communities in Mesopotamia not only shared the cultivation of cereals but also their consumption methods, preparing them as focaccia.

“However, a limitation of this study is its focus on a small sample of fragments from a specific area. Expanding the sample to include other regions would be crucial to verify whether husking trays served the same function throughout Mesopotamia,” Taranto said.

Currently, the study authors have limited data about the exact ways in which food was consumed during the Neolithic period, but in the future—with much more research—this may become possible.

“From an anthropological and sociological perspective, food distinguishes cultures. It is possible to map contemporary cultures based on food, and perhaps, in the future, we could do the same for other ancient societies, about which we know very little,” Taranto told ZME Science.

The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.