Oldest Cheese Ever Discovered Uncovered from 3,600-Year-Old Coffin in China

The 3,600-year-old coffin of a young woman, uncovered in Northwestern China two decades ago, held a striking discovery for archaeologists - an exceptional piece of cheese. Scientists have since identified it as the oldest cheese ever found. Discovered in the Xiaohe Cemetery in 2003, the Bronze Age coffin and its contents were remarkably preserved due to the dry desert environment of the Tarim Basin where it was buried. A study, co-authored by Fu Qiaomei, a paleogeneticist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, was published in the journal Cell.

The woman's preserved boots, hat, and the cheese, which was found positioned like a necklace, lend insight into the burial practices of the time. Often, significant items were included in burials. The presence of kefir cheese next to the woman's body suggests that cheese played an important role in their lives. The importance and use of cheese can be traced back to ancient Egyptian wall murals from 2000 BC and its proof in Europe goes back nearly 7,000 years. However, the samples found in the Tarim Basin are the oldest physical pieces of cheese ever discovered.

Through analysis of DNA samples taken from three tombs in the cemetery, Fu’s team traced the evolutionary path of the bacteria across thousands of years. The team identified the cheese as kefir, originating from the fermenting of milk via kefir grains. Traces of goat and cow milk were also found. This discovery led them to explore the journey of kefir culture, integral to cheese production. Especially intriguing was how the lactose-intolerant Xiaohe population managed to consume dairy in an era predating pasteurization and refrigeration given how cheese production lowers lactose content.

While earlier studies propose that kefir cheese spread its roots from northern Caucasus, Fu's study conclusively proves another route of distribution. A shift charted from modern-day Xinjiang and Tibet to inland Asia, thus providing crucial insights into the interactions of Bronze Age populations. Importantly, the DNA analysis also suggested bacteria strains' increasing resistance against antibiotics over the years. These same bacteria, triggering immune responses in ancient humans, also adapted over time to be beneficial to human health.

Interestingly, the study found that human activities over thousands of years played a role in influencing microbial evolution. The spread of kefir across different populations triggered a split in bacterial subspecies. When enquired about the potential edibility of the kefir cheese, Fu denied any possibilities of personal research. "No way," she said.