Gastroarchaeology: What Ancient Pompeii Bread Teaches Us About Modern Food Preservation

Published: American TurkNetwork Magazine, Washington DC, November 2025 , "CULINARY CHRONICLES"

According to Confucius, “The world is built upon two sciences: earth science and celestial science.” He wasn’t wrong. Earth and celestial sciences can be a great inspiration at work. In 2018, during my time as an advisor at Baskent University TGA, one of my favorite projects was about Pompeii Bread. The bread that had carbonized and retained its original shape in Pompeii, the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius’ catastrophic eruption in Italy in 79 AD. In this article, I will share some insights from that study.

Even though “gastro-archaeology” is not a common multidisciplinary field, I have been using the term frequently. The paleo diet, ancient pottery shapes, stove types, and kitchen utensils all inspire modern designs through archaeological studies.

How did a loaf of bread baked in 79 AD get preserved until today? 

Italian archaeologist Giuseppe Fiorelli’s revolutionary techniques in the 1860s led to more systematic excavation of the ruins where such items were found. Fiorelli is known for inventing the method of pouring plaster into hollow spaces left by decayed organic matter, creating the hauntingly accurate body casts of the victims (Britannica). The plaster casting techniques are fascinating, as the same method preserved both human forms and everyday objects like bread.

The most distinctive difference between this bread and modern breads is the Biga starter, which was the baker's best friend in Ancient Rome and is still used today. 

Biga is essentially an unsalted sourdough starter prepared the day before and left in a warm corner. Compared to other sourdough starters, Biga requires less effort and time, making it practical for traditional bakers. It’s interesting that ancient Roman bakers were already thinking about efficiency, which is something that never changes in the professional kitchen.

Additionally, two other types of flour were used in Pompeian bread: Spelt wheat and whole wheat flour. However, the main ingredient was Kavılca flour, which is one of the ancient grains that has been reintroduced for cultivation in Turkey. While Kavılca was predominantly used until 3,000 years ago, its use gradually declined with the rise of barley production. Bread made with this flour is cold-resistant, flavorful, and highly nutritious. It has a taste quite similar to today’s sourdough bread varieties but differs from modern standard sourdough breads in terms of water and flour ratios.

Grains, especially wheat and barley, were used to make bread and porridge. Bread was generally coarse and dark in color. Although innovations in grinding mills and fine sieves helped increase the fineness of flour over time, it always remained much coarser than modern standards. It was determined that the bread found was actually baking in the oven at the time of the eruption. When we look at the baking conditions at that time, the flour obtained was collected on a lead plate covering the circular base of the grinders. They sifted the flour based on what customers wanted. Fine sieves were used to obtain very fine white flour for bread. Some bread loaves were decorated with anise, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, egg whites, and other spices. It appears that in the late Republican period in Rome, yeast began to be used, obtained by mixing sourdough with millet or bran flour.

The ovens were made of brick (opus latericium), while the oven floor was made of basalt slabs. The same material was also used to pave the roads. For example, on 

the exterior wall of the Panifico oven attached to the house of N. Popidius Priscus, a travertine slab bearing the inscription “Hic Habitat Felicitas” (roughly “Here dwells happiness”) was found and is now located in the National Museum of Naples. The inscription has survived as an important find linking bread production to Roman daily life. It demonstrates nature’s exceptional preservation power. Eighty charred bread fragments were found in different ovens. Despite 2,000 years having passed, the bread has retained its integrity, with even the surface markings still visible.

Pyroclastic Preservation: When Disaster Becomes Natural Conservation

The bread in Pompeii survived without deteriorating due to specific preservation conditions. Items inside undamaged structures survived because the ash layer formed by the pyroclastic flow covered the city like a blanket. This bread, left in the oven, was charred and survived under the ash layer. 

We can understand the bread’s shape from both the preserved sample and ancient Roman sources and frescoes. The sample bread is on display at the Naples Museum. It has been divided into eight slices. Before baking, a string was tied around it, and the baker's seal was stamped on one of the pieces. After baking, it was carried on the shoulder using the string, making it easier to sell.

Alongside Pompeii bread, there is an even older bread from Ancient Egypt that holds a Guinness World Record. This 4,000-year-old product, somewhere between bread and cake, belonged to the vizier Pepyankh the Middle, whose cake remained well-preserved for thousands of years. According to Guinness World Records, the Alimentarium Food Museum in Vevey, Switzerland, displays the world’s oldest cake, which was sealed in the grave of Pepyankh, who lived in 

Ancient Egypt around 2200 BC. The 11cm (4¼ inch) wide cake has sesame seeds on top and honey inside, and was possibly made with milk.

From Ancient Ash to Future Business Applications

I believe gastroarchaeology is a wonderful scientific field that opens doors to new preservation techniques, ancient food designs, and undiscovered or forgotten methods. Would you like to eat your breakfast egg in historically-shaped bread? Studying ancient preservation methods like those used in Pompeii could help with modern applications. Imagine if your delicious, healthy sandwich could maintain its nutritional value for disaster preparedness and long-distance travel. If it develops as a preservation technique, it could revolutionize food and logistics systems for space missions and food trade. Ancient wisdom can solve today’s business challenges by eliminating cold supply chains, reducing costs, and lowering product prices.

Resources: 

Britannica: History of Pompeii 

Guinness World Records : Oldest Cake 

Assist. Prof. T. Albustanlıoğlu, Journal of Tourism and Gastronomy Studies, Organization of Bakery in the Roman Empire and Bread Production: Example of Pompeii Bread.