Dylan Bettencourt
When it comes to cheese it is often said that the older the better, but archaeologists may have found a cheese that’s matured for a little too long – by about 2,600 years!
Archaeologists in Egypt discovered pots of cheese that were identified as halloumi, one of the go-to options at your local Mediterranean restaurant.
The cheese was found inside a pottery area during a new round of excavations, Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiques announced.
The team of researchers claimed the cheese dates back to the 26th or 27th Egyptian dynasty between 688 and 525 BC.
Along with the cheese, excavators also found several artefacts with ancient Egyptian writing known as Demotic script.
Secretary general for the Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr Mustafa Waziri said the Egyptians referred to the white cheese as “haram” which then became known as “halloum” in the Coptic times, Business Insider reported.
The cheese made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk became commonly known as halloumi.
Cheese is believed to have been a common staple in the Egyptian diet with evidence showing a history of cheese-making going all the way back to Egypt’s first dynasty 5,000 years ago.
The Egyptian Antiquities Mission has been working on excavation in the Saqqara necropolis since 2018. The site is said to contain the ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty and pharaohs.
Excavations of the area in the past have found eight tombs, over 100 sealed wooden coffins and dozens of statues of gods.
The site, situated around 25 kilometres south of Egypt’s capital Cairo, has the nation’s oldest pyramid and is one of its largest archaeological sites.
Image source: @TheNewYorkTimes
