Pieces of cheese dating back to the 7th or 6th century BC.BC[/B] have been found in the ancient necropolis of Sakara near Cairo, a discovery that reveals the ancient past of a familiar taste.
The cheese was found in a clay vessel and is thought to have been halloumi, a variety we now associate with Cyprus, but which has been popular since ancient Egyptian times.
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the find dates between 688 and 525 BC, during the 26th or 27th dynasty.
Along with the clay vessel, archaeologists unearthed numerous finds with inscriptions in the Egyptian vernacular, which also appears in the famous Rosetta Pillar.
According to the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Dr. Mustafa Waziri, white cheese made from goat's milk was called "haram" in ancient Egypt, a name that was changed to "hallum" by the Copts and eventually evolved into "halloumi".
Cheese is known to have always been part of the Egyptian diet, with the earliest evidence of cheese-making dating back to 5,000 years ago, during the First Dynasty.
The new round of excavations at Sakara, where the tombs of several pharaohs as well as the tiered pyramid of Zozer are located, have been ongoing since 2018.
According to the ministry, previous excavations had unearthed eight tombs, more than 100 sealed wooden coffins and dozens of statues of gods.
New discoveries are not ruled out in the near future, as some of the sealed vessels found along with the halloumi have not yet been opened.
Source.gr
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