• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

World’s oldest cheese discovered on ancient Chinese mummies

Scientists have successfully extracted DNA from a nearly 3,600-year-old cheese found on the heads and necks of mummies in China’s Tarim Basin.

by Dario Radley
September 26, 2024

Scientists have successfully extracted DNA from a 3,600-year-old cheese, making it the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered. Identified as kefir cheese, the discovery provides new insights into the origins of kefir and the development of probiotic bacteria.

World's oldest cheese discovered on ancient Chinese mummies
(A) The location and layout of the Xiaohe cemetery, where the oldest kefir cheese to date is found. (B) A photo of one of the mummies from the Xiaohe cemetery, with the kefir samples (highlighted with red triangles) scattered around the neck of the mummy. (C) The three kefir samples. (D) The metagenomic profiles of the kefir samples on domain (upper) and phylum (bottom) levels. Credit: Y, Liu et al., Cell. (2024). [This image is used under the CC BY-NC-ND license for non-commercial and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder and object to its use, please contact us for immediate removal.]
The unusual white substance was first discovered nearly two decades ago when archaeologists unearthed hundreds of mummies in the Tarim Basin. The cheese was smeared on the heads and necks of several mummies, but at the time, researchers could not confirm its exact nature. With recent advancements in DNA analysis, a team led by Qiaomei Fu, a researcher from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has now identified the substance as kefir cheese, a fermented dairy product made from cow and goat milk.

“This is the oldest known cheese sample ever discovered in the world,” said Fu. “Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity.” Fu emphasized that studying such artifacts can help us understand more about the diet and culture of our ancestors.

The researchers extracted mitochondrial DNA from the cheese samples, revealing that the ancient Xiaohe people used separate batches of cow and goat milk, unlike the mixed milk cheese-making traditions found in regions like Greece and the Middle East. Further genetic analysis showed that the cheese contained species of bacteria and yeast, including Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Pichia kudriavzevii, both of which are commonly found in present-day kefir grains. These grains are symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast that ferment milk into kefir cheese, much like the process used in sourdough bread.

One of the most significant findings of the study was the discovery that the Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens in the ancient cheese was closely related to a strain found in Tibet. This challenges the long-held belief that kefir originated solely in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia. According to Fu, the study suggests that kefir culture may have been maintained in northwestern China since the Bronze Age.

RelatedStories

Homo erectus in Java: 140,000-year-old fossils found in submerged river valley

300,000-year-old teeth in China suggest interbreeding between early humans and Homo erectus

August 6, 2025
Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

July 29, 2025

The ancient kefir cheese also contained higher levels of Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens than are typically found in modern varieties, which would have made the cheese more likely to trigger immune responses in the human digestive system. Over the last 3,600 years, the bacteria seem to have evolved alongside humans, becoming less likely to cause such immune reactions. “This is an unprecedented study, allowing us to observe how a bacterium evolved over the past 3,000 years,” Fu said. The genetic exchanges between strains have enhanced the stability of the bacteria, improving their milk fermentation capabilities over time.

The presence of kefir cheese in the Xiaohe tombs raises intriguing questions about its significance in ancient burial practices. While the exact reason for smearing cheese on the mummies remains unclear, one theory is that the cheese may have served as a delicacy for the deceased in the afterlife. The Xiaohe people might have believed that this rare food could sustain the spirits of the dead or play a ritualistic role in the burial process.

The findings were published on September 25 in the journal Cell.

More information: Liu, Y., Miao, B., Li, W., Hu, X., Bai, F., Abuduresule, Y., … Fu, Q. (2024). Bronze Age cheese reveals human-Lactobacillus interactions over evolutionary history. Cell. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2024.08.008
ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Human hair khipus reveal Inca record-keeping was used by both elites and commoners
Archaeology

Human hair khipus reveal Inca record-keeping was used by both elites and commoners

August 19, 2025
Genetic mutation in key enzyme may explain why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct
Anthropology

Genetic mutation in key enzyme may explain why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct

August 19, 2025
Ancient human relatives transported stones 2.6 million years ago, rewriting human history
Anthropology

Ancient human relatives transported stones 2.6 million years ago, rewriting human history

August 17, 2025
3,000-year-old hymn reveals musical links across Bronze Age civilizations from India to the Mediterranean
Archaeology

3,000-year-old hymn reveals musical links across Bronze Age civilizations from India to the Mediterranean

August 16, 2025
First confirmed artifacts from Emperor Nintoku’s 5th-century tomb in Japan
Archaeology

First confirmed artifacts from Emperor Nintoku’s 5th-century tomb in Japan

August 16, 2025
40,000 Celtic artifacts and rare bronze warrior figurine unearthed at Manching in Bavaria
Archaeology

40,000 Celtic artifacts and rare bronze warrior figurine unearthed at Manching in Bavaria

August 16, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
246K

Facebook
113K

Threads
44K

LinkedIn
13K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Shipwreck Salvage. Credit: rawpixel.com / Public Domain

2,000-year-old shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast with remarkably preserved stacked ceramics

July 2, 2025
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
Moses may be named in ancient Egyptian mine inscriptions, sparking debate over earliest biblical references

Moses may be named in ancient Egyptian mine inscriptions, sparking debate over earliest biblical references

July 31, 2025
600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

July 21, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Moses may be named in ancient Egyptian mine inscriptions, sparking debate over earliest biblical references

Moses may be named in ancient Egyptian mine inscriptions, sparking debate over earliest biblical references

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

3D analysis reveals Shroud of Turin image likely came from sculpture, not Jesus’ body

3D analysis reveals Shroud of Turin image likely came from sculpture, not Jesus’ body

Human hair khipus reveal Inca record-keeping was used by both elites and commoners

Human hair khipus reveal Inca record-keeping was used by both elites and commoners

August 19, 2025
Genetic mutation in key enzyme may explain why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct

Genetic mutation in key enzyme may explain why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct

August 19, 2025
Ancient human relatives transported stones 2.6 million years ago, rewriting human history

Ancient human relatives transported stones 2.6 million years ago, rewriting human history

August 17, 2025
3,000-year-old hymn reveals musical links across Bronze Age civilizations from India to the Mediterranean

3,000-year-old hymn reveals musical links across Bronze Age civilizations from India to the Mediterranean

August 16, 2025
First confirmed artifacts from Emperor Nintoku’s 5th-century tomb in Japan

First confirmed artifacts from Emperor Nintoku’s 5th-century tomb in Japan

August 16, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved