Around 3,600 years ago, a young woman died and was buried in the Tarim Basin, a desert in what is now the Xinjiang region of northwestern China. The dry conditions and her sealed coffin preserved her body well. When archaeologists discovered her grave in 2003, they found her naturally mummified body, still wearing her clothes, which included a felt hat, a wool coat with tassels, and fur-lined leather boots.
Interestingly, they also found pieces of cheese, placed around her neck like a necklace. This cheese is the “oldest cheese in the world,” according to Dr. Qiaomei Fu, a scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her team recently studied the ancient cheese and published their findings in a scientific journal called Cell.
Humans have been making cheese for thousands of years. Scientists have found evidence of cheese production dating back 7,000 years. However, the cheese found in the Tarim Basin is the oldest that can be clearly identified as cheese.
Dr. Fu and her team took samples of the cheese from the graves of three mummies in the region. They studied the DNA in the cheese and compared it to modern dairy products. They found traces of cow and goat milk, showing that both types of milk were used to make the cheese. They also discovered bacteria and yeast that are used to make kefir, a type of fermented dairy product.
This discovery was exciting for Dr. Fu because it offers clues about how ancient people lived and interacted. The cheese was important enough to be placed in the graves, and the way it was made suggests connections between different cultures in the region.
At the time, the cheese was likely soft and sour, similar to modern kefir. While no one has tasted the ancient cheese, scientists say it probably would not taste good today. Some researchers once tasted cheese from an Egyptian tomb in the 1930s, and they described it as having "no smell and only a dusty taste."
However, Dr. Fu and her team are interested in trying to recreate the ancient cheese based on what they’ve learned. “I think our next step should be to make it,” she said.
1. Multiple Choice Questions
Choose the correct answer for each question:
1. How old is the cheese found in the Tarim Basin?
- a) 7,000 years
- b) 4,000 years
- c) 3,600 years
- d) 2,000 years
2. Where was the cheese found?
- a) Egypt
- b) Tarim Basin, China
- c) Europe
- d) South America
3. What type of dairy product does the ancient cheese resemble?
- a) Modern kefir
- b) Cream cheese
- c) Cheddar
- d) Yogurt
4. What did archaeologists find along with the cheese in the young woman’s grave?
- a) Pottery
- b) Jewelry
- c) Mummified human remains
- d) Food for the afterlife
5. Why do researchers believe the cheese was important to the ancient people?
- a) It was a common food
- b) It was placed in the graves of important people
- c) It was used as money
- d) It was used for trading
2. True or False Questions
Write T (True) or F (False) next to each statement:
1. ___ The cheese found in the Tarim Basin is the oldest confirmed cheese in the world.
2. ___ The cheese was made only from goat's milk.
3. ___ Dr. Fu and her team plan to recreate the ancient cheese.
4. ___ The archaeologists found cheese and jewelry around the neck of the mummy.
5. ___ Scientists think the cheese might have tasted good today.
3. Short Answer Questions
1. What clothing items were found on the mummified woman in the Tarim Basin?
_________________________________________________________________
2. What did Dr. Fu and her team learn from the DNA of the ancient cheese?
_________________________________________________________________
3. Why is the discovery of this cheese exciting for scientists?
_________________________________________________________________
4. Vocabulary Check
Match the words with their meanings:
1. ___ Archaeologist
2. ___ Mummy
3. ___ Fermented
4. ___ Bacteria
5. ___ Coffin
a) A container where a dead body is placed before burial
b) A person who studies ancient human history
c) A body preserved after death
d) Microorganisms, some of which are used in food production
e) A process where food is broken down by bacteria, often to preserve it
Download the document to see the answer key!
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