World's oldest cheese found in China next to Bronze Age mummies

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href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos</a><span class="separator"> » </span><a href="/history/archaeology/">Archaeology</a></p></nav> <section class="article-container cols-4 md-cols-1 cols-gap-1 padding-bottom-4"> <article class="col col-span-3 post-312232 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-archaeology category-anthropology category-biology category-chemistry category-science category-culture category-history category-news category-people tag-ancient-dna tag-archaeology tag-cheese tag-china tag-mummies"> <header class="rows rows-gap"> <h1 class="entry-title row">World’s oldest cheese found in China next to Bronze Age mummies</h1> <div class="row primary-image has-featured-image " data-featured-image="worlds-oldest-cheese_Kefir-cheese-discovered-on-the-Tarim-mummies-CREDIT-Yimin-Yang.jpg"> </div> </header> <div class="entry-content cols-6 md-cols-1 cols-gap-1 margin-top-1"> <div class="content-left-sidebar cols-1 col"> <section class="contributors md-cols-1 rows-gap"> <div class="row post-date"> <span class="published-date">September 26, 2024</span> </div> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/evrim-yazgin/" class="author row md-hide"> <img src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0MDAgNDAwIiB3aWR0aD0iNDAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjQwMCIgZGF0YS11PSIlMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjIlMkYwOCUyRlRoZS1TY2llbmNlLUV4Y2hhbmdlLTI0LmpwZyIgZGF0YS13PSI0MDAiIGRhdGEtaD0iNDAwIiBkYXRhLWJpcD0iIj48L3N2Zz4=" data-spai="1" alt="Evrim Yazgin" width="200" /><noscript data-spai="1"><img src="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/The-Science-Exchange-24.jpg" data-spai-egr="1" alt="Evrim Yazgin" width="200" /></noscript> <div class="bio"> <h3>Evrim Yazgin</h3> <p>Cosmos science journalist</p> </div> </a> <div id="author-name" class="hide"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/evrim-yazgin/" class="bio"> By Evrim Yazgin </a> </div> <div class="favourite__wrapper row cols"> <button class="showDialog simplefavorite-button" aria-label="Favourite button"> </button> </div> </section> </div> <div class="primary-content cols-1 col-span-5 col"> <div class="flexible-content "> <div class="copy"> <p>Ever had an aged cheddar or parmesan that was extra sharp and thought – how old is too old for <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/podcast/why-is-cheese-so-stinky/">cheese</a>? Well, the aging just got a whole lot longer.</p> <p>A cheese found in northwestern China is 3,600 years old and is the subject of a paper <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.08.008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> today in the journal <em>Cell</em>.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"> <figure class="alignleft size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" width="427" height="864" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0MjcgODY0IiB3aWR0aD0iNDI3IiBoZWlnaHQ9Ijg2NCIgZGF0YS11PSIlMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjQlMkYwOSUyRndvcmxkcy1vbGRlc3QtY2hlZXNlX1RhcmltLW11bW1pZXMtZnJvbS10aGUtcHJlc2VudC1kYXktWGluamlhbmctcmVnaW9uLW9mLU5vcnRod2VzdGVybi1DaGluYS1DUkVESVQtV2VueWluZy1MaS5qcGciIGRhdGEtdz0iNDI3IiBkYXRhLWg9Ijg2NCIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+" data-spai="1" alt="Ancient mummy from china tibet" class="wp-image-312233" style="aspect-ratio:0.49421296296296297;width:281px;height:auto" title="world's oldest cheese found in china next to bronze age mummies 1"><noscript data-spai="1"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" width="427" height="864" src="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Tarim-mummies-from-the-present-day-Xinjiang-region-of-Northwestern-China-CREDIT-Wenying-Li.jpg" data-spai-egr="1" alt="Ancient mummy from china tibet" class="wp-image-312233" style="aspect-ratio:0.49421296296296297;width:281px;height:auto" srcset="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Tarim-mummies-from-the-present-day-Xinjiang-region-of-Northwestern-China-CREDIT-Wenying-Li.jpg 427w, https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Tarim-mummies-from-the-present-day-Xinjiang-region-of-Northwestern-China-CREDIT-Wenying-Li-297x600.jpg 297w, https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Tarim-mummies-from-the-present-day-Xinjiang-region-of-Northwestern-China-CREDIT-Wenying-Li-300x607.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px" title="world's oldest cheese found in china next to bronze age mummies 1"></noscript><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Tarim mummies from the present-day Xinjiang region of Northwestern China. Credit: Wenying Li.</figcaption></figure></div> <p>If that’s not enough to spoil your appetite, the scientists report that the cheese was found alongside <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/origins-of-the-tarim-basin-mummies/">mummified corpses in the Tarim Basin</a> in Xinjiang province.</p> <p>Luckily, they resisted the urge to have a nibble, instead subjecting the Bronze Age cheese to a smorgasbord of tests.</p> <p>“This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered,” says corresponding author Qiaomei Fu, from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.</p> <p>“Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity. Studying the ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand our ancestors’ diet and culture,” she adds.</p> <div class="advert ad-in-content ad-mobile auh-250"><div id="adn-00000000001fc2ca-i0p0" style="display: none"></div></div> <p>Previously, the oldest cheeses in the world were found in Egypt. They dated to between 3,200 and 2,900 years ago.</p> <p>The find came in a surprising way. About 20 years ago, archaeologists noticed mysterious white substances smeared on the heads and necks of several mummified bodies in the Tarim Basin’s Xiaohe cemetery in northwestern China. The bodies are 3,300–3,600 years old.</p> <div class="in-content-area related-box-wrapper content-third content-right margin-bottom-1"> <div class="gradient-title">Read More</div> <ul class="related-box article-listing"> <li class="cols"> <div class="article article-post"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/taiwan-tooth-ablation/" class="thumbnail ar-16-9" aria-label="Article link"> <span data-spai-bg-on="1" class="image" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMjAwIDY3NCIgd2lkdGg9IjEyMDAiIGhlaWdodD0iNjc0IiBkYXRhLXU9Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGY29zbW9zbWFnYXppbmUuY29tJTJGd3AtY29udGVudCUyRnVwbG9hZHMlMkYyMDI0JTJGMDMlMkZHZXR0eUltYWdlcy0xMjc3NTQxMjE5LmpwZyIgZGF0YS13PSIxMjAwIiBkYXRhLWg9IjY3NCIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+)"></span> </a> <div class="article-content has-very-light-grey-background-color"> <a href="/history/archaeology/"> <span class="category history-color"> Archaeology </span> </a> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/taiwan-tooth-ablation/"> <h3>Why ancient people in Taiwan ritualistically removed healthy teeth</h3> </a> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> <p>The archaeologists realised it might be a kind of fermented dairy product, but its identity eluded them until now.</p> <p>Analysis revealed cow and goat DNA in the cheese samples. Unlike in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cheese-making techniques, the ancient Xiaohe people used different types of animal milk in separated batches.</p> <a href="https://link.cosmosmagazine.com/OP59" class="newsletter-cta" data-device="mobile"> <img decoding="async" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAzMDAgMjUwIiB3aWR0aD0iMzAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjI1MCIgZGF0YS11PSIlMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjQlMkYwMyUyRldlZWtseS1DYXRjaHVwLTMwMHgyNTAtMS5wbmciIGRhdGEtdz0iMzAwIiBkYXRhLWg9IjI1MCIgZGF0YS1iaXA9IiI+PC9zdmc+" data-spai="1" alt="Newsletter" title="world's oldest cheese found in china next to bronze age mummies 2"><noscript data-spai="1"><img decoding="async" src="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Weekly-Catchup-300x250-1.png" data-spai-egr="1" alt="Newsletter" title="world's oldest cheese found in china next to bronze age mummies 2"></noscript> </a> <p>Further DNA analysis revealed that the cheese is kefir which is common today in western Eurasia.</p> <div class="advert ad-in-content ad-mobile auh-250"><div id="adn-00000000001fc2ca-i1p0" style="display: none"></div></div> <p>Fu and her colleagues identified bacterial and fungal species as well, including <em>Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens</em> and <em>Pichia kudriavzevii</em>, both commonly found in present-day kefir grains which are used to initiate fermentation.</p> <p>Kefir grains are symbiotic cultures. They contain multiple species of probiotic bacteria and yeast which ferment milk into kefir cheese.</p> <p>Finding the ancient bacteria is an opportunity to study the evolution of these organisms.</p> <p>There are 2 main groups of <em>Lactobacillus</em> bacteria today – one originating in Russia and another from Tibet. The Russian type is the most widely used globally for making yogurt and cheese.</p> <p>The team found that the ancient <em>L. kefiranofaciens</em> was more closely related to the Tibetan group, challenging the long-held belief that kefir originated solely in the North Caucasus Mountain region of modern-day Russia.</p> <div class="advert ad-in-content ad-mobile auh-250"><div id="adn-00000000001fc2ca-i2p0" style="display: none"></div></div> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img decoding="async" width="624" height="351" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA2MjQgMzUxIiB3aWR0aD0iNjI0IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjM1MSIgZGF0YS11PSIlMkZ3cC1jb250ZW50JTJGdXBsb2FkcyUyRjIwMjQlMkYwOSUyRndvcmxkcy1vbGRlc3QtY2hlZXNlX0tlZmlyLWNoZWVzZS1kaXNjb3ZlcmVkLW9uLXRoZS1UYXJpbS1tdW1taWVzLUNSRURJVC1ZaW1pbi1ZYW5nLmpwZyIgZGF0YS13PSI2MjQiIGRhdGEtaD0iMzUxIiBkYXRhLWJpcD0iIj48L3N2Zz4=" data-spai="1" alt="Two pieces of oldest ancient cheese next to bottle cap" class="wp-image-312231" style="aspect-ratio:1.7777777777777777;width:840px;height:auto" title="world's oldest cheese found in china next to bronze age mummies 3"><noscript data-spai="1"><img decoding="async" width="624" height="351" src="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Kefir-cheese-discovered-on-the-Tarim-mummies-CREDIT-Yimin-Yang.jpg" data-spai-egr="1" alt="Two pieces of oldest ancient cheese next to bottle cap" class="wp-image-312231" style="aspect-ratio:1.7777777777777777;width:840px;height:auto" srcset="https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Kefir-cheese-discovered-on-the-Tarim-mummies-CREDIT-Yimin-Yang.jpg 624w, https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Kefir-cheese-discovered-on-the-Tarim-mummies-CREDIT-Yimin-Yang-600x338.jpg 600w, https://cdn.shortpixel.ai/spai/q_lossy+ret_img+to_auto/cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/worlds-oldest-cheese_Kefir-cheese-discovered-on-the-Tarim-mummies-CREDIT-Yimin-Yang-300x169.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px" title="world's oldest cheese found in china next to bronze age mummies 3"></noscript><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kefir cheese discovered on the Tarim mummies. Credit: Yimin Yang.</figcaption></figure> <p>“Our observation suggests kefir culture has been maintained in Northwestern China’s Xinjiang region since the Bronze Age,” Fu says.</p> <p>“This is an unprecedented study, allowing us to observe how a bacterium evolved over the past 3,000 years. 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World's oldest cheese found in China next to Bronze Age mummies