A Polish-Armenian team of archaeologists made this discovery last fall while working at an archaeological site in the city of Metsamor in western Armenia. After discovering flour and excavating several bakeries, the team realized that the old building had once served as a bakery.

opening details

Dust of old flour was scattered across the dirt-covered ruins, including several ovens.

At first glance it looked like ashes. We knew it was something organic and we collected about four or five bags of the stuff.
– says Krzysztof Jakubiak, professor of archeology at the University of Warsaw, who oversaw the excavations.

The chemical analysis team determined that the substance was wheat flour, which was used to bake bread. The 25 by 25 meter building, containing two rows of 18 wooden columns supporting a thatched roof with wooden beams Approximately 3.5 tons of flour can be stored at the same time..

Kiln ruins / Photo: Patrick Orajek

According to researchers, Kiln operated between the 11th and 9th centuries BC In the early iron age. It is one of the oldest known structures of this type in Metsamor. Since the roof of the building collapsed during the fire, it covered everything, so the flour was saved.

city ​​of Metzamor

Although little is known about Metsamor’s ancient inhabitants as they have no writings, researchers do know that the fortified city was part of the biblical Urarat kingdom after it was conquered by King Argishti I in the 8th century BC. Before that, it covered 247 acres (100 hectares) and was once “surrounded by temple complexes containing seven sanctuaries.”

Previous excavations at Metsamora revealed a walled settlement with a cemetery containing 100 tombs. Several gold pendants and about 100 jewelery beads were found in one tomb, although many tombs were empty, possibly due to looting.