DNA from the world’s oldest cheese extracted from an unusual source – mummies

It is old – 3600 years.

Scientists have successfully extracted a strand of DNA from what they believe is the world’s oldest cheese, plucking it from Bronze Age mummies in a Chinese cemetery, around 2000 BC.

The dairy delight is kefir cheese – a healthy substitute for modern-day cream cheese – and was found strangely smeared or “smeared” around the heads and necks of preserved corpses, dating between 3,300 and 3,600 years ago, in Northwest China’s Tarim Basin, according to research published in the journal Cell.

Specifically, she wore the necks and heads of several members of the deceased inside a cemetery of the Xiaohe people. Although the white substance was first observed two decades ago, it was only recently confirmed that it was the preferred surface of pasta.

“Food items like cheese are extremely difficult to preserve over thousands of years, making this a rare and valuable opportunity,” said researcher Qiaomei Fu. “Studying ancient cheese in great detail can help us better understand the diet and culture of our ancestors.”

The mitochondrial extract – found to contain both cow and goat DNA – was taken from three different graves after learning about Xiaohe’s culinary preferences. Unlike customs in Greece and the Middle East, different types of animal milk were separated into batches of cheese.

The presence of fungal bacteria consistent with modern kefir grains was also found, which allowed the team to trace its origins.

One in particular, the actual cheese-making Lactobacillus bacteria, appear to have come from China and Russia.

Earlier beliefs had an exclusive strain on the Caucasus Mountains of Russia.

The study also reveals that the bacteria may have led to the stabilization of genetics and increased milk fermentation over time.

“This is an unprecedented study, which allows us to observe how a bacterium evolved over the past 3,000 years. Furthermore, by examining dairy products, we have gained a clearer picture of ancient human life and their interactions with the world,” said Fu.

“This is just the beginning, and with this technology, we hope to explore other previously unknown objects.”